The Sunday News
ARSENE WENGER recognises the football romantics are rooting for Leicester City, but wants his Arsenal side to be heartless on Valentine’s Day in the race for the Barclays Premier League title. Leicester have confounded the critics all season and hold a five-point lead over Tottenham Hotspur and third-placed Arsenal with 13 matches remaining. Claudio Ranieri’s men gave the clearest indication that they can last the course by dismantling Manchester City 3-1 in a top-of-the-table clash at the Etihad Stadium last weekend.
After that match, Leicester drew plaudits for their defensive resiliency and lightning quick counter-attacks, with Riyad Mahrez, who, Wenger said, is “dominating the Premier League”, scoring the pick of the goals.
Wenger knows Arsenal must deal with those threats as well as the knowledge that the majority of the country are backing Leicester.
“You don’t have to be some super mathematician to see it is a very important game,” he said. “It is maybe not yet decisive, but it is really important.
“Leicester have the advantage. Their story is obviously very romantic and I understand the whole country being behind them. That is human. We have to nullify their pace and attacking potential — we want to dominate the game, have the ball and be dangerous.”
Leicester’s wins over the Barclays Premier League’s traditional top six are no fluke, with Liverpool, Spurs and Chelsea among the teams beaten by Ranieri’s side in the past 10 weeks.
Leicester have failed to win the past 18 league meetings between the sides, though, and will need no reminding of Arsenal’s talent having been beaten 5-2 in September’s reverse fixture, Alexis Sanchez ending the match with a hat-trick.
Ranieri is all too aware of the plethora of talent at Wenger’s disposal.
“In the last match they scored five, we scored two and hit the post twice,” he said. “It was an exciting match.
“It will be open on Sunday. Arsenal have so many fantastic players. They have magicians that can score suddenly.”
The match is likely to come too soon for Arsenal striker Danny Welbeck, who has been absent since last April with a knee injury, despite him now being in full training, while Wenger says Jack Wilshere (ankle) and Santi Cazorla (knee) are now weeks rather than months from returning. — Premier League
