Iwobi inspires Arsenal as Leicester win to honour late chairman

November 04

08:29 2018

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Arsenal salvaged a 1-1 draw against Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium thanks to Alexandre Lacazette’s goal which was created by Alex Iwobi’s defence-splitting pass.

Alisson Becker had to go down to quickly smother Lacazatte’s flick from a cut-back to deny Arsenal an early lead. The Brazilian keeper was however lucky not to gift the Gunners a goal, rushing off the six-yard box as Mkhitaryan’s header went just wide.

Jurgen Klopp’s team settled into the game and had the ball in the net through Saido Mane but the goal was ruled out for offside. Bernd Leno then superbly saved at the foot of van Dijk and smothered another Firmino shot.

Arsenal, however, finished the half stronger with Ozil pulling the strings. The German playmaker’s flicked pass set Lacazatte free and the French striker’s low shot missed the bottom of the far corner by an inch. The Gunners also had the ball in the net from a free kick but Shkodran Mustafi was adjudged offside as the cross was being delivered.

Liverpool nearly scored against the run of play on the stroke of halftime, van Dijk’s header hitting the post to end an entertaining but goalless half.

Liverpool took the lead on 62 minutes through EPL veteran and vice captain, James Milner. The 33-year-old latched onto the ball after Leno’s save from Mane’s cross was deflected into his path, the midfielder’s well-hit low shot finding the net for a 1-0 lead.

Arsenal should have equalised through Mkhitaryan but the Armenian’s shot was tipped over by Alisson. Virgil van Dijk had been imperial in defence but unlucky in attack, and his header from a corner kick was brilliantly kept out by Leno in the 72nd minute.

Arsenal looked to fight back with both Aaron Ramsey and Alex Iwobi coming on as substitutes, but Lacazette could not get onto the end of the Nigerian international’s cross which was just in need of a touch. The Frenchman would finally convert Iwobi’s defence-splitting through ball to equalise on 82 minutes. The former Lyon striker evaded Alisson, controlled the ball and curled into the far corner for his fourth EPL goal of the season. Iwobi was again involved as Arsenal went in search of the winner, his cross finding Ozil who laid it off for Hector Bellerin but the wingback narrowly missed the top corner.

Neither side could find the winner in added time.

Leicester City, who recently lost their chairman, Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, won 1-0 at Cardiff City. Wilfred Ndidi played the entire 90 mins of a match in which Leicester keeper, Kasper Schmeichel, was in tears during the pre-game one-minute silence, while Kelechi Iheanacho was an unused substitute. Demerei Gray scored the winner on 55 minutes.

In the first match of the day, Manchester United needed a last-minute winner from Marcus Rashford to earn a come-from-behind 2-1 win at Bournemouth. Anthony Martial’s close-range shot in the 35th minute cancelled out Callum Wilson’s early goal. Jose Mourinho’s men were matched by Eddie Howe’s team but squeezed a late winner as Rashford bundled a deep cross into the net from three yards.