Leicester City can take many positives from their FA Cup defeat against Manchester United when they resume their fight against Premier League -degradation versus Arsenal.
That is the image of defender Caleb Okoli, while the 18th placed foxes are preparing to welcome the title hunt of Mikel Arteta in the King Power Stadium.
Leicester van Ruud van Nistelrooy was defeated 2-1 last week by Manchester United in the cup, where the last-gasp winner of Harry Maguire was allowed to be offside, with VAR not in use in the Fourth round of the competition.
Since the first match of Van Nistelrooy who was in charge of Leicester in December, only Southampton have lost more matches (nine) and won fewer points (four) than the Foxes (eight losses, seven points) in the Premier League.
Yet Okoli thinks that their cup performance can cause some positivity if they make themselves in their fight for a crucial period to prevent the drop.
“We can restart this version, and hopefully I get more and more start in the Premier League,” he said.
“We were so bad luck with the result, but I think it was a great achievement of my teammates and the whole team.
“The decision went against us, but we will take the performance and try to do it in the Premier League. The most important thing is that we have to look up and just continue.”
Arsenal at home #leiars pic.twitter.com/omgi1ms6x9
– Leicester City (@LCFC) 12 February 2025
In the meantime, Arsenal has sustained a huge double blow in their attempt to chase leaders Liverpool, with both Gabriel Martinelli and Kai Havertz set aside by injuries.
In an update that was given on Thursday, the Gunners revealed that Havertz would have missed the rest of the 2024-25 season after having had the setback during a training camp with warm weather in Dubai, and Arsenal did not succeed in an attacker in the mid-season Bring in the transfer in the mid -season window.
Speaking before the trip to Dubai, who came to Newcastle to Newcastle shortly after their EFL cup, Arteta said: “Now we have to look ahead and when we are in Dubai, charge and go again because we still have a lot of playing for.
“We have been super consistent, we are really composed, so what can I say?”
Players to watch
Leicester City – Jamie Vardy
Vardy has scored more Premier League goals against Arsenal than he has versus every other opponent (11).
Only Harry Kane (14) and Wayne Rooney (12) have delivered more often against the Gunners in the competition.
Arsenal – Ethan Nwanieri
Only Michael Owen and Rooney (nine each) have scored more goals for a Premier League side while they are 17 years or younger than the younger of Arsenal Nwaneri (seven).
With Havertz now feared to be out for the rest of the season, Arsenal needs their broad players to increase more goals, and Nwaneri could be a candidate.
Match forecast – Arsenal Win
Leicester has lost each of their last six Premier League matches against Arsenal, after they have won four of their six against the Gunners before this run (one draw, one defeat).
Arsenal also won their last three Premier League matches against Leicester, but a fewer than they have managed in their first 14 visits to Filbert Street or the King Power Stadium in the competition (four wins, six draws, four defeats).
The Gunners have won 21 of their last 25 Premier League matches against parties in the relegation zone (three draws, one loss), with their only defeat in that spell that in February 2023 (0-1) to the 19th-set Everton came.
They are also unbeaten in each of their last 14 Premier League matches (nine wins, five draws).
They no longer gone without suffering a defeat in the competition since they enjoyed a run of 16 games between December 2010 and April 2011 under Arsene Wenger.
Leicester has lost each of their last four Premier League home matches without scoring Sheffield on Wednesday in 1919-20, Birmingham City in 1921-22 and Norwich City in 2019-20 single top campaign.
Opta wins probability
Leicester City – 12.1%
Arsenal – 69.8%
Drawing – 18.1%
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