Nfr the Leicester arsenal thread

[Whitesideup]

Felt gutted for Leicester. Ranieri just stood there after the whistle went. Don't usually mind Arsenal but today they really ticked me off.

Their players were very unsporting. Every time Leicester made a foul they'd hold up an imaginary card (bookable offence) and Coquelin should have been given a second yellow for shoving Mahrez off the pitch. I felt the referee was poor and let the Arsenal fans get to him.

For me I'd still love Leicester to win, and think that they will, but in the event that they don't I'm supporting anyone but Arsenal.

I agree. If I recall correctly, at one time (and for a short period) calling for a yellow card was in itself deemed  to be unsportsmanlike behaviour and a yellow card offence. Mind you, grabbing a player with both arms and throwing him to the ground used to be a foul in the penalty box. Now Aussie rules apply within 18 yards of the goal.

But I also agree with Grandad. Vardy's penalty looked like outright cheating to me, and although I have only seen it once, Mahrez's dive was scandalous. If refs are too afraid of making the wrong call, then retrospective cards should be issued... or how about a video ref letting the ref know through his earpiece?

[Forever Fulham]

I wouldn't want to play any team fighting not to get relegated, no matter how down the table they are.  We've all seen weird things when the panic sets in.  It LOOKS like Leicester will have the easier time of it, but... No CL or Europa diversions are certainly helping Leicester to focus and stay healthy.

[HatterDon]

brilliant match by two quality sides -- if nothing else, this match has to put to sleep all those comments about City playing above their heads. They are quality in attack and defense.

I see Man City 4th, Arsenal 3rd and the top two places held by Spurs and City -- and I wouldn't like to bet the house on which of the two finishes 2nd. Spurs, City, and Arsenal are playing the most vibrant football in England and have been doing so pretty much all season.

[Slaphead in Qatar]

Man city shot themselves in the foot with the pep deal mid season. Difficult for pellegrini and players to be fully motivated now.

[BigbadBillyMcKinley]

I think the pressure is starting to get to Leicester now to be honest. None of them, barring Ranieri, is used to this amount of talk of them winning the thing. I hope he can settle them down again because it will be fantastic for the game in general. Big teams will realise they are massively over paying on very average players (I read that Otemendi for Man City, cost £7 million more than the entire Leicester first team!). But also, some of the Premier League teams may actually take a chance on players from the lower leagues and share some of their vast wealth with the rest of them!!

[Logicalman]

Good match, but I agree with the comments about holding up imaginary cards, Arsenal have been the protagonists of this all season, and the commentators don't even mention it, but when other teams' players do it, they claim it's unsportsman-like.

Sorry, the second yellow for Simpson was so very soft that had a serious hint of bias about it, niggling fouls might have taken place, on both sides, but the lack of action towards Arsenal players for both similar and more serious, fouls, provided that Arsenal played to the the home advantage.

Even after the sending off, Leicester managed to keep Arsenal out quite effectively for the next 15 minutes and even after the equalizer went in, they maintained their discipline and bravely held on for the desired point, until that simple and silly foul gave Arsenal what they needed, and they took full advantage. Against a 10-man team, Arsenal showed why they would not be worthy champions this season.

MoM has to be Kanté, his running and never letting Arsenal settle ensured they hardly had a sniff at goal - until the red card.