Arsenal
Leicester City vs. Arsenal: Team News, Possible Lineups, Match Facts, Preview & Prediction
Arsenal travel to the King Power Stadium on Sunday to face Leicester City after having qualified for their 17th straight Champions League, while Leicester would be hoping they could bounce back at home after a 2-0 loss at Stamford Bridge last week.
Team News:
Arsenal:
The biggest concern for Arsene Wenger would be that Olivier Giroud has been ruled out for a period upto 4 months. Despite signing Alexis Sanchez earlier this summer, Giroud was Arsene’s key man upfront and his long-term absence will really cause headaches. Sanchez led the line in the midweek Champions League fixture against Besiktas, and maybe would again be given the responsibility upfront. But with Sanchez having started twice in the last week, Wenger might feel it safe to start with his new man on the bench, with Lukas Podolski, Yaya Sanogo and Joel Campbell all offering options. Podolski and Campbell were rumored to be in talks of move away from Arsenal, but Wenger is likely to hold their sales unless he signs another striker.
In midfield, Aaron Ramsey is fresh and certain to start after missing out the midweek fixture due to suspension. Jack Wilshere partnered him against Everton last time and also featured against Besiktas, but is likely to make way for Santi Cazorla. Mesut Ozil and Alex-Oxlade Chamberlain are likely to take the wide roles, and in the absence of Mikel Arteta, Mathieu Flamini is set to retain his role as the holding midfielder. If Wenger decides to rest any of the midfield players who featured on Wednesday, then Tomas Rosicky offers a strong option.
At the back, an injury to Kieran Gibbs would mean Nacho Monreal will continue at left-back. Mathieu Debuchy, Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertasacker were the right back and centre backs Didier against Besiktas, and may retain their starting berths, with Callum Chambers offering an alternative if Wenger decides to rotate.
David Ospina has returned to full training after injury and would now challenge Wojciech Szczesny for the gloves. Serge Gnabry, Ryo Miyachi and Theo Walcott all continue to miss out with injuries.
Leicester City:
Leicester would be hoping their new signing Esteban Cambiasso gets his clearance before the match against Arsenal.The experienced central midfielder, if available, will go directly into one of the two central midfield spots. Danny Drinkwater missed last week’s trip to Chelsea but has now returned and would likely take the other central midfield role. In their absence, Andy King or Dean Hammond could step in. Antony Knockaert, Riyad Mahrez and Marc Albrighton would battle it out for the 2 wide roles, with Jeffrey Schupp also an option on the left, after an impressive outing against Chelsea.
Jamie Vardy has returned from a long term injury, but is unlikely to replace David Nugent or summer signing Leandro Ulloa upfront. At the back, Nigel Pearson is set to continue with the same backline of Wes Morgan, Liam Moore, Ritchie De Laet and Paul Konchesky and Kasper Schmeichel below the bar, with new signing Danny Simpson from QPR unlikely to feature.
Leicester City vs Arsenal Style of Play Expected:
Arsenal are yet to display that fluidic gameplay they executed to perfection last season, and would hope to find their rhythm against Leicester. With Ramsey back after missing the midweek game against Besiktas, the Arsenal midfield is likely to control majority of the game.
Meanwhile, Leicester has shown great character at the back in both their games so far. Even though they conceded twice against both Everton and Chelsea, they did reasonably well to restrict them to two. They have opened up chances upfront as well, but have been found lacking in finishing and would hope to improve their finishing skills and snatch a point from Arsenal.
Leicester City vs Arsenal Predicted Lineups:
ARSENAL (4-1-4-1): SZCZESNY;DEBUCHY-MERTASACKER-KOSCIELNY-MONREAL;FLAMINI; CHAMBERLAIN-RAMSEY- CAZORLA- OZIL; PODOLSKI.
LEICESTER CITY (4-4-2): SCHMEICHEL; DE LAET-MORGAN-MOORE-KONCHESKY; HAMMOND-DRINGWATER-KNOCKAERT-MAHREZ; NUGENT-ULLOA.
Key Players:
ARSENAL: Aaron Ramsey, Mesut Ozil, Santi Cazorla
LEICESTER CITY: Kasper Schmeichel, Riyad Mahrez, David Nugent
Leicester City vs Arsenal Match Facts:
- Leicester won their first Premier League home game against Arsenal (2-1 in November 1994) but none of the subsequent seven games saw them claim three points.
- The last time Arsenal played Leicester was the 38th and final game of the unbeaten 2003-04 Premier League campaign.
- Leicester’s players to have featured so far have a combined total of 550 Premier League appearances, fewer than any other team this season.
- Arsenal’s Alexis Sanchez has conceded more fouls (7) without getting booked than any other Premier League player this season.
- Mesut Ozil has assisted only one goal in his last nine Premier League games.
- David Nugent has not scored a Premier League goal since playing for Burnley in 2009-10. His last effort came in March 2010.
- Leicester have scored at least once in each of their last 16 league games at home.
- Arsenal have scored at least two goals in their last three Premier League away games.
Facts compiled from uk.eurosport.yahoo.com
Leicester City vs Arsenal Prediction:
ARSENAL 2-0 LEICESTER
Arsenal Women host Manchester United on Saturday in a crucial six pointer for Champions League qualification. The Gunners sit just one point above United in the WSL table and victory at Emirates Stadium would give them a strong buffer, while defeat leaves them playing catch up in the race for Europe.
The match marks Arsenal’s return from the winter break following a busy week that saw Renee Slegers sign a new contract and Jodie Taylor promoted to Technical Director. However, the immediate focus is on securing three points against Marc Skinner’s side in what promises to be a tense encounter.
Kick-off: 12:30 GMT, Saturday, January 11, 2026
Venue: Emirates Stadium, London
TV: Sky Sports (UK)
Cooney Cross Absent For Personal Reasons
Arsenal will be without Kyra Cooney Cross who has returned to Australia for personal reasons. Daphne van Domselaar is not quite ready to return from a quad injury while Chloe Kelly remains out with a knee problem. Jenna Nighswonger will not be in the matchday squad as she negotiates a loan move.
New signing Smilla Holmberg from Hammarby will be in the squad alongside recalled goalkeeper Naomi Williams. Manu Zinsberger and Katie Reid are out with ACL injuries. The absence of Cooney Cross means Mariona will likely drop into the deeper midfield role she has occupied for much of the last year.
United Strengthened in January
Manchester United have been busy in the transfer window, adding full back Hanna Lundkvist from San Diego Wave and centre forward Lea Schuller from Bayern Munich. Skinner was dealt a poor hand over the summer with a very small squad handling Champions League qualifiers and the group phase.
Predicted Lineup:
Arsenal (4-3-3): Borbe; Fox, Williamson, Catley, McCabe; Little, Mariona, Maanum; Mead, Russo, Smith
Manchester United (4-2-3-1): Tullis Joyce; Lundkvist, Le Tissier, Janssen, Sandberg; Miyazawa, Zigiotti; Park, Malard, Awujo; Schuller
Also read: Arsenal Women disable social media comments after sexist backlash to new signing
Arsenal confirmed on January 9, 2026 that Jodie Taylor has been appointed as the club’s first ever Technical Director.
The 39-year-old former England striker moves up from her existing role as Technical Services Manager, a position she has held since September 2023 following her retirement from professional football.
Taylor’s promotion comes on the same day Arsenal announced Renee Slegers’ new contract extension through 2029, creating a strategic restructuring of the women’s football department.
A Decade Long Arsenal Connection
Taylor’s relationship with Arsenal spans ten years since first joining as a player in 2016. She scored 10 goals in 17 appearances during her initial spell before returning on a short-term deal in March 2023. Taylor earned 50 plus England caps during her international career and won the Golden Boot at Euro 2017.
She represented her country at the 2015 Women’s World Cup finishing third and played for multiple elite clubs including Lyon, Orlando Pride, Portland Thorns and San Diego Wave throughout her career.
Strategic Structural Development
Taylor’s new role bridges critical areas of football operations including recruitment, analysis, coaching and performance support. She will work closely with Renee Slegers on a daily basis as the Technical Director, providing structural support for coaching decisions and squad development.
Director of Women’s Football Clare Wheatley praised Taylor’s appointment as integral to continued development of the program as Arsenal challenges for major trophies consistently. Wheatley will now focus on upward management across UEFA, FIFA and domestic boards while Taylor handles day to day operations.
Building a High Performance Environment
Taylor expressed immense pride stepping into her new position, emphasizing Arsenal’s remarkable growth over the past decade. She committed to nurturing a high-performance environment where players, coaching staff and support teams have the right tools to deliver at the highest level.
Her appointment represents investment in female leadership within Arsenal’s technical infrastructure, aligning with the club’s commitment to developing their women’s program systematically and strategically moving forward into their next phase.
Also read: Arsenal Women disable social media comments after sexist backlash to new signing
Arsenal confirmed on January 9, 2026 that head coach Renee Slegers has signed a new long-term contract extending through the summer of 2029.
The 36-year-old Dutch coach was previously due to exit at the end of the 2025-26 season but now commits three and a half additional years to the club. Her extension rewards an extraordinary debut season where she guided Arsenal to historic UEFA Women’s Champions League victory after beating Barcelona 1-0 in the Lisbon final.
From Academy Player to Champions League Winner
Renee Slegers’ connection to Arsenal dates back decades. She played in the club’s academy as a teenager and watched Arsenal claim their previous Champions League trophy in 2007 from the stands. Her return to the club came in summer 2023 as assistant coach following two years leading Swedish club Rosengard where she won back-to-back Damallsvenskan titles.
She stepped into the interim role in October 2024 when Jonas Eidevall departed and impressed immediately with an 11-match unbeaten run. That performance earned her permanent appointment in January 2025, and by May 2025 she had delivered historic Champions League glory.
Arsenal’s Long-Term Vision
Slegers told club media that her journey from academy player to Champions League winning head coach represents immense pride. She stated the club has much to achieve together in the coming seasons. Arsenal Director of Women’s Football Clare Wheatley described Slegers as an elite coach with capabilities to lead continued title challenges.
Chief Executive Richard Garlick praised her impact driving standards and progress toward consistent top-level competition.
Jodie Taylor Joins as Technical Director
The announcement accompanied confirmation that former England international Jodie Taylor has been appointed Arsenal’s first ever women’s technical director. Taylor, who retired in 2023 after two Arsenal playing spells, will work closely with Slegers on recruitment, analysis and specialisation. Her role bridges previously disconnected recruitment and technical departments creating stronger operational cohesion.
Arsenal continues their title defence facing Manchester United on January 11 with five trophies remaining in play this season.
Also read: Arsenal star Kyra Cooney-Cross returns to Australia after mother’s terminal cancer diagnosis
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