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LEICESTER, United Kingdom: Arsenal ignored their injury woes to close the gap on Premier League leaders Liverpool to four points as Mikel Merino came off the bench to clinch a 2-0 win against Leicester on Saturday.
Mikel Arteta’s side were in danger of wasting a chance to put pressure on Liverpool in the title race as they labored to make the breakthrough at the King Power Stadium.
But, with his attacking options limited by a host of injuries, Arteta sent on Spain midfielder Merino to act as a makeshift striker in the closing stages.
It proved an inspired move as Merino netted twice in the last nine minutes to extend Arsenal’s unbeaten run in the league to 15 games.
“We knew it was going to be tough. The first 20 minutes, we were too sloppy. We didn’t have a real threat and we weren’t playing with enough urgency,” Arteta said.
“We were much sharper in the second half. Mikel could give us something. He has a sense of danger and great timing in the box.
“We were on the verge of a different level of anxiety. But we were composed, scored two brilliant goals and could have scored one or two more.”
Having lost 2-0 at Newcastle in the League Cup semifinal second leg before an extended break due to their early FA Cup exit, the Gunners returned to action with a vital victory that keeps them hot on the heels of Liverpool.
Liverpool, who stumbled with a draw at Everton in their game in hand on Wednesday, can increase their lead back to seven points if they beat lowly Wolves at Anfield on Sunday.
“Let’s go day by day and take a lot of positives from the second half, but also know the first half wasn’t good enough to win games,” Arteta said.
With Kai Havertz ruled out for the season after suffering a hamstring injury while blocking a shot during Arsenal’s recent training trip to Dubai, Arteta was left with a threadbare attack.
Havertz’s injury blow came just weeks after Arsenal failed to sign Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins during the January transfer window.
Gabriel Jesus, Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli were already sidelined, so Arteta was forced to use Belgian winger Leandro Trossard as his central striker.
Underling the paucity of Arteta’s forward options, 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri and the out-of-form Raheem Sterling filled in on the flanks either side of Trossard.
Fortunately for Arteta, third-bottom Leicester were ideal opponents for his weakened team.
Underlying the gloom around Leicester’s relegation battle, fans staging a vocal protest against the club’s Thai owners and Foxes director of football Jon Rudkin after 14 minutes.
With the protest songs still ringing around the King Power Stadium, Declan Rice headed wastefully wide when Nwaneri’s cross teed up Arsenal’s first sight of goal.
Wilfred Ndidi was close to breaking the deadlock on the stroke of half-time when his header skidded off the rain-soaked surface and flashed just wide of the far post.
Nwaneri was one of Arsenal’s few bright sparks on a murky day in the East Midlands.
The teenager surged onto Martin Odegaard’s pass and curled just wide from 20 yards in a rare Arsenal threat.
Nwaneri was a constant menace, unloading a stinging strike that Leicester keeper Mads Hermansen tipped onto the post.
Leicester couldn’t stem the tide as Arteta’s gamble paid off in the 81st minute.
Nwaneri swung a pin-point cross into the Leicester area and Merino found space to thump his header past Hermansen from six yards.
Merino celebrated by dancing a jig around the corner flag, but he wasn’t finished yet.
Seven minutes later, Trossard whipped a cross into the six-yard box and Merino’s well-timed run eluded the Leicester defense as he slotted home to keep Arsenal firmly in the title chase.