Arsenal boosts Champions League hopes with win

Arsenal moved up to sixth, four points off Champions League spot with a 1-0 win over Leicester City.

Arsenal's Nacho Monreal, left celebrates with teammates after he scored the opening goal of the game during the English Premier League soccer match between Arsenal and Leicester City at the Emirates Stadium in London.

 

Arsenal kept alive its hopes of securing a 20th successive Champions League campaign by beating last year's Premier League champions Leicester City 1-0 with a late own goal at The Emirates Stadium on Wednesday.

Match Centre

'Arsene Wengers side, which has now won four of its last five league and cup games, had most of the first-half possession but it was Leicester which carved out the best early chances, Jamie Vardy firing a first-time shot into the side-netting and then Riyad Mahrez forcing a superb save from Petr Cech.

Kasper Schmeichel had to save smartly from Theo Walcott before Alexis Sanchez rattled the Leicester bar, and Granit Xhaka went close after the break with a deflected shot that Schmeichel just reached.

But it was another deflected effort — by Nacho Monreal, in the 86th minute, that deflected off Robert Huth — that finally undid Leicester and earned Arsenal the three vital points.

The result left Arsenal four points short of that crucial fourth Champions League spot. Leicester is six points above the relegation places, just 12 months after it won the league.