Mikel Arteta was left to rue a fabulous performance from Kasper Schmeichel as Arsenal threw away two valuable points to draw at home with Leicester City on Tuesday night, speaking to Football London.
While Brendan Rodgers’ Foxes have begun Project Re-Start with a whimper rather than a snarl, at least their ever-present number one has been as solid as ever between the sticks.
And, a fortnight after helping Leicester avoid defeat with a brilliant penalty save against Brightonn, Schmeichel was the hero of the piece again as the Midland giants moved one step closer to Champions League qualification.
The great Dane made two superb reflex saves to deny Alexandre Lacazette and Hector Bellerin in the first half when a free-flowing Arsenal side were already one goal to the good, before re-adjusting to tip a deflected David Luiz free kick around the post in the second ’45.
And while it was Jamie Vardy, the scourge of Arsenal, who secured a point with a late leveller, Leicester’s Man of the Match was undoubtedly the man at the other end of the pitch.
“Absolutely (we regret missing our chances), but they have a great goalkeeper who saved them in the specific moment that we needed it,” said a dejected Arteta, who’s Arsenal side dropped off substantially once Eddie Nketiah had been sent off with 15 minutes to go.
“I think for long periods of the game we deserved three points, 100 per cent. But against this opposition when you have them you have to kill them and we should have scored three or four goals and then the game is over.
“They have a very good goalkeeper who made the saves,” he added to the Mercury.
Only champions Liverpool have conceded fewer league goals than Leicester this season, with Schmeichel keeping 12 clean sheets in total.
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