Arsenal 5-1 Leicester City Stats: Gunners Maintain Title Push with Five-Star Performance

Arsenal close the gap on Chelsea as Caitlin Foord's first-half brace set the stage for a comprehensive win. Explore the key facts and stats in our comprehensive post-match breakdown.

Match Overview

Final Score: Arsenal 5️⃣ - 1️⃣ Leicester City

📅 Date: April 15, 2025
🏆 Competition: WSL – Round 19
🏟️ Venue: Emirates Stadium, London, England

Arsenal produced a clinical display against Leicester City, securing a comfortable 5-1 victory to maintain their title push. Caitlin Foord struck twice in the first half, with Stina Blackstenius also finding the net to give the Gunners a commanding 3-0 lead at the break. Beth Mead and Victoria Pelova added further goals after the interval, while Yuka Momiki scored a consolation for the visitors.

The result puts Arsenal just 3 points behind league leaders Chelsea and 10 points clear of Man City—needing only 1 point from their final 3 games to mathematically secure Champions League qualification.

Phases of Play Analysis

First Half (3-0)

The opening period belonged to Arsenal, who established complete control with a dominant 71% possession and quickly translated that superiority into goals. Caitlin Foord opened the scoring in the 9th minute, assisted by Frida Maanum, before Stina Blackstenius doubled the advantage in the 16th minute following Beth Mead's setup. Arsenal continued to press, and Foord secured her brace in the 31st minute with Blackstenius turning provider. Despite Leicester occasionally threatening on the counter with their 2 shots on target from just 2 total attempts (100% accuracy), Arsenal's technical quality was evident throughout, completing 345 passes at 90% accuracy compared to Leicester's 107 passes at 69%.

First Half Stats Breakdown:

• Arsenal: 4 shots on target from 10 attempts (40% accuracy)

• Leicester City: 2 shots on target from 2 attempts (100% accuracy)

• Arsenal passes: 384 (90% accuracy)

• Leicester City passes: 156 (69% accuracy)

• Arsenal created more danger with 25 touches in the opposition box to Leicester's 3

Second Half (2-1)

Arsenal maintained their control after the break, though with slightly less dominance as Leicester showed improved resistance. Beth Mead extended Arsenal's lead in the 63rd minute with Kim Little providing the assist, before Leicester pulled one back through Yuka Momiki in the 66th minute following good work from Shana Chossenotte. Arsenal quickly reasserted their authority with Victoria Pelova adding a fifth goal in the 70th minute. Arsenal's attacking intent remained clear with 6 shots on target from 9 attempts in the second half, while Leicester managed 2 shots on target from 3 attempts.

Second Half Stats Breakdown:

• Arsenal: 6 shots on target from 9 attempts (67% accuracy)

• Leicester City: 2 shots on target from 3 attempts (67% accuracy)

• Arsenal passes: 375 (90% accuracy)

• Leicester City passes: 174 (79% accuracy)

• Arsenal created 4 big chances with 68% possession

Tactical Analysis

Arsenal's Approach

Arsenal deployed their customary 4-2-3-1 formation under Renée Slegers, with a focus on dominating possession and attacking with width. Their tactical approach included:

1. Dominant ball retention: 90% pass accuracy with 759 total passes

2. Quick transitions: Exploiting Leicester's defensive lapses with precise forward passing (684 accurate passes)

3. Wing play: Heavy utilisation of wide areas with Mead and Foord combining for 3 goals and 1 assist

4. High press: Restricting Leicester to just 30% possession and forcing 11 interceptions

5. Technical superiority: 52 touches in the opposition box compared to Leicester's 12

Leicester City's Approach

Leicester City lined up in a matching 4-2-3-1 formation under Amandine Miquel, focusing on defensive resilience and counter-attacking opportunities. Their tactical plan consisted of:

1. Compact defensive block: 32 clearances and 11 interceptions disrupting Arsenal's attacking rhythm

2. Direct build-up: Low possession (30%) but attempting to bypass Arsenal's press with direct balls

3. Transitional threat: Creating 4 shots on target from just 5 total attempts (80% efficiency)

4. Adaptive approach: Making 5 substitutions to counter Arsenal's dominance

5. Set-piece organisation: Limited Arsenal's effectiveness from 5 corners

Individual Performances

Key Performers - Arsenal

Beth Mead (8.9 rating) - Player of the Match

• 1 goal, 1 assist

• 3 chances created

• 55/65 passes completed (85%)

• 1/4 successful dribbles (25%)

• 10 passes into final third

• 8 touches in opposition box

Mariona Caldentey (8.7 rating)

• 3 chances created

• 92/101 passes completed (91%)

• 3/3 successful dribbles (100%)

• 13 passes into final third

• 4/6 tackles won (67%)

• 3 interceptions

Caitlin Foord (8.7 rating)

• 2 goals

• 18/22 passes completed (82%)

• 1/2 successful dribbles (50%)

• 6 touches in opposition box

• 2/3 shots on target (67%)

Stina Blackstenius (8.7 rating)

• 1 goal, 1 assist

• 3 chances created

• 23/29 passes completed (79%)

• 3/5 shots on target (60%)

• 11 touches in opposition box

Key Performers - Leicester City

Yuka Momiki (7.2 rating)

• 1 goal

• 1 chance created

• 18/24 passes completed (75%)

• 1/1 shots on target (100%)

• 5 passes into final third

Shana Chossenotte (7.0 rating)

• 1 assist

• 1 chance created

• 9/11 passes completed (82%)

• 1/5 successful dribbles (20%)

• 1/2 tackles won (50%)

Hlin Eiriksdottir (6.6 rating)

• 7/9 passes completed (78%)

• 1/1 shots on target (100%)

• 1/1 successful dribbles (100%)

• 3 touches in opposition box

• Introduced as substitute on 63 minutes

Momentum Analysis

1. Minutes 4-10: Strong Arsenal momentum (+98%) building toward Foord's opening goal

2. Minutes 14-18: Peak Arsenal dominance (+100%) leading to Blackstenius' goal

3. Minutes 30-33: Arsenal surge (+98%) culminating in Foord's second goal

4. Minutes 42-43: Another Arsenal momentum peak (+100%) to close the first half

5. Minutes 62-63: Arsenal momentum surge (+100%) building to Mead's goal

6. Minutes 65-66: Leicester's only significant momentum period (-38%) resulting in Momiki's goal

7. Minutes 68-69: Arsenal's response (+84%) leading to Pelova's goal

8. Minutes 79-81: Final Arsenal surge (+100%) securing their comprehensive victory

Substitution Impact

Arsenal's substitutions:

• Frida Maanum → Victoria Pelova (46'): Rating difference +0.91, game-changing impact with goal

• Caitlin Foord → Lia Wälti (46'): Rating difference -1.37, shift to more defensive midfield setup

• Steph Catley → Katie Reid (67'): Rating difference -0.92, fresh legs at left-back

• Kim Little → Kyra Cooney-Cross (67'): Rating difference -1.93, maintaining midfield control

• Leah Williamson → Amanda Ilestedt (82'): Minimal impact with limited time

Leicester City's substitutions:

• Shannon O'Brien → Hlin Eiriksdottir (63'): Rating difference +0.68, provided attacking threat

• Hannah Cain → Missy Goodwin (63'): Rating difference +0.07, minimal offensive contribution

• Catherine Bott → Courtney Nevin (67'): Rating difference +1.22, improved defensive solidity

• Samantha Tierney → Saori Takarada (81'): Minimal impact with limited time

• Shana Chossenotte → Nelly Las (82'): Minimal impact with limited time

Set Piece Analysis

Set pieces played a minor role in both teams' attacking threat:

• Corners: Arsenal 5, Leicester City 4

• Accurate crosses: Arsenal 4/18 (22%), Leicester City 2/9 (22%)

• Arsenal created several opportunities from set pieces, utilising Mead's delivery (3 corners taken)

• Leicester defended resolutely from set-piece situations, with 32 total clearances

Key Match Insights

1. Technical Quality Gap: Arsenal's pass accuracy (90% vs 74%) highlighted their technical advantage

2. Defensive Disparity: Leicester's 32 clearances compared to Arsenal's 15 showed the sustained pressure they faced

3. Attacking Efficiency: Leicester managed 4 shots on target from just 5 attempts (80% accuracy)

4. Tactical Maturity: Arsenal's measured approach in the second half, maintaining 68% possession

5. Individual Brilliance: Beth Mead's standout performance with direct goal contributions and chance creation

Conclusion

Arsenal's commanding 5-1 victory over Leicester City was a testament to their superior quality and tactical cohesion. Despite Leicester's occasional threat on the counter and a well-taken consolation goal, Arsenal's ability to control possession and create quality chances ultimately proved decisive.

The match highlighted several key factors that influenced the outcome:

1. Arsenal's technical execution, evidenced by their significant advantage in possession (70%) and passing statistics (90% accuracy)

2. The impact of Arsenal's wide players, particularly Beth Mead (a goal and assist) and Caitlin Foord (two goals)

3. Leicester's resilience in certain defensive situations but inability to sustain any attacking momentum

4. Arsenal's balanced attack with five different players involved in goal contributions

With Champions League qualification nearly sealed and a crunch tie against Lyon ahead, Arsenal look well-poised for a strong finish. Leicester, meanwhile, must regroup as the season enters its final stretch.