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EPL: Vardy header gives Leicester first win at Arsenal in 47 years

October 26, 2020

Images from the English Premier League matches played on Sunday.

IMAGE: Jamie Vardy celebrates scoring the goal for Leicester during the Premier League match against Arsenal at Emirates Stadium in London. Photograph: Catherine Ivill/Getty Images

Leicester City won at Arsenal for the first time in 47 years on Sunday, with substitute Jamie Vardy's late close-range header enough to secure victory in the Premier League at The Emirates.

 

The win lifted Brendan Rogers' side to fourth on 12 points, while the Gunners stay in 10th place on nine after six games.

Arsenal were left ruing their failure to score in the first half hour when they pushed forward time and again, racking up 10 shots and six corners to Leicester's one and zero respectively.

They had the ball in the net from a corner in the fourth minute but replays showed at least three players offside as Alexandre Lacazette flicked it past keeper Kasper Schmeichel.

The hosts then almost scored when Kieran Tierney whipped in a cross that captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang headed over.

They went even closer to opening the scoring a few minutes later when Alexandre Lacazette, standing in front of goal, somehow nodded another cross from Tierney wide of the far post.

IMAGE: Jamie Vardy broke the deadlock in the 80th minute, heading home Cengiz Under's cross. Photograph: Catherine Ivill/Getty Images

Vardy, who came on with half an hour to play having missed Leicester's previous two games with a calf injury, broke the deadlock in the 80th minute, heading home Cengiz Under's cross.

"We weathered a bit of a storm but then started getting into it and we've come away with a win. It's big for us but it's just the next game where we want to keep improving," said Vardy.

The win gets Leicester's season back on track following league defeats by Aston Villa and West Ham United.

"We've had a couple of bad results and we wanted to put that right in the league. Luckily, I’ve come on and made an impact," Vardy told Sky Sports.

"It gives us a little boost. The last two games in the league have not been good enough but to come here and put in a performance like we have is great for the team."

Vardy's 11th Premier League goal against the Gunners - more than any other player apart from Wayne Rooney - gave his side their first win at Arsenal since September 1973.

Southampton end Everton's unbeaten run

IMAGE: Southampton's Jannik Vestergaard vies with Everton's Abdoulaye Doucoure during their Premier League match at St Mary's Stadium, Southampton on Sunday. Photograph: Andy Rain/Pool via Reuters

Southampton beat Premier League leaders Everton 2-0 at St Mary's Stadium on Sunday with goals from James Ward-Prowse and Che Adams as Carlo Ancelotti's side became the final club to lose a game this season.

Everton remain top of the standings with 13 points and a healthier goal difference than city rivals and reigning champions Liverpool but Southampton moved up to fifth with their third win in four matches.

"We knew it was a good challenge for us, they came here unbeaten and we didn't like that feeling. Our confidence was high," Ward-Prowse told Sky Sports.

"We were aggressive, we believe in what we are doing and we have the quality to go and score goals... This gives us a lot of confidence, we weren't really troubled."

Southampton took the lead in the 27th minute when Ward-Prowse played a neat one-two with Danny Ings, who provided the through ball for his fellow Englishman to fire a shot past Jordan Pickford.

Ings turned provider again eight minutes later when he crossed from the left flank to find Adams at the far post and the unmarked striker took his time to pick his spot to beat Pickford with a strike that deflected off Gylfi Sigurdsson.

With about 20 minutes to go, Everton were reduced to 10 men when defender Lucas Digne was sent off for a straight red card after he fouled Kyle Walker-Peters and Ancelotti could not bring on another defender having already made three substitutions.

Everton hardly tested Alex McCarthy in Saints' goal, with striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin drawing his first blank of the season.

The closest the visitors came to scoring was when Sigurdsson's first-half effort from outside the box crashed into the crossbar while James Rodriguez had a tame effort in the box saved.

"It was a tough win against a strong side but we had good game management... It was one of our best performances at home," Saints manager Ralph Hasenhuettl said.

"We played through the lines, the second goal was beautiful and we really calmed the game down. I didn't see a lot of chances for Everton today."

Source: REUTERS
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