Upcoming Match-ups

EPL Betting – Can Leicester Outfox the Gunners?

Don Aguero

by Don Aguero in News

Updated Jan 17, 2018 · 9:39 AM PST

Leicester City (+375) at Arsenal (-120) (Draw +295)

After dismantling Liverpool (2-0) and Manchester City (3-1) in consecutive weeks, Leicester City has finally managed to silence their doubters and convince the rest of the world that they are serious contenders for the championship. As it stands, they are equal favorites to win the Premier League alongside Arsenal (9/4), who they take on this weekend at the Emirates (Sunday, Feb. 14, at 7:00 AM Eastern).

With Chelsea in shambles, Manchester United struggling to find their footing, and Manchester City ailing sans captain Vincent Kompany, this season is Arsenal’s chance to end their 11-year championship drought.

But Leicester City will not be giving up the top spot easily. Indeed, currently five points clear of third-place Arsenal (14-6-5, 48 pts), Leicester City (15-8-2, 52 pts) will remain in top position regardless of the result.

Over the course of the season, Leicester have evolved from a squad relying solely on the counter-attack to a team with a more fluid, possession-based style of play. They’re taking control of their games and dictating play. In other words, they’re no longer playing like underdogs.

On the other hand, Arsenal have shown glimpses of brilliance this season but have largely been uninspiring as of late, winning one of their last five Premier League matches. Their defense has been reshuffled, with key defender Per Mertesacker missing the starting line up in the last two games due to poor form. Whether he will start against Leicester remains a mystery, but if he does, he may have trouble matching the speed of Jamie Vardy. The slower Arsenal defense may lead to their undoing if they are unable to shut down the Leicester counter-attack.

Still, Arsenal remains one of the strongest teams, on paper, and are one of just two teams to beat Leicester City in the Premier League this season (5-2).

Unlike other top teams, Leicester City don’t have to worry about other competitions like the FA Cup, Europa League, or Champions League. They’re able to focus solely on winning EPL games, which is not a luxury available to Arsenal. The Gunners have both FA Cup and Champions League matches this month.

Playing away should not worry Leicester City in the slightest. The Foxes actually have a better record playing away (8-4-1) than they do at home (7-4-1). While bookmakers favor Arsenal this Sunday, Leicester City are riding a wave of momentum right now and if there’s anything we’ve learned this season, it’s that Leicester is a team that can defy all odds.

Pick: Leicester City (+375). 

 

(Photo credit: By Ronnie Macdonald from Chelmsford and Largs, United Kingdom (Mahrez free kick 1) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons.)

Author Image