Leicester 0-2 Arsenal: Mikel Merino’s late double secures all three points as the Gunners keep their title hopes alive at the King Power Stadium

Mikel Arteta proved himself a master of improvisation as he made light of his striker shortage by turning a midfielder into his match-winner and keeping Arsenal in the title race.

With Kai Havertz sidelined for the rest of the season and Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus also missing through injury, Arteta rolled the dice midway through the second half. With his team struggling to break down Leicester, the Gunners boss brought off Raheem Sterling and sent on Mikel Merino. The summer signing from Real Sociedad responded with two goals to sink Leicester.

Though Merino was decisive, Ethan Nwaneri was man of the match. The 17-year-old produced a bewitching display, creating the opener and underlining why he is one of the best prospects on the planet.

Liverpool will expect to extend their lead at the top to seven points when they face Wolves on Sunday but had Arsenal failed here, the Reds would have felt like starting their celebrations three months early. Leicester showed enough here to believe they can stay up, though fans staged a protest against director of football Jon Rudkin before and during the game.

It is worth highlighting that before this game, Leicester had conceded 53 league goals and near the end of the first half, had to bring on Woyo Coulibaly for his home debut after an injury to right back James Justin.

They had also lost eight of their previous nine games and they should have been there for the taking for Arsenal. Even without Havertz, Saka, Jesus and Martinelli, Arsenal should still have threatened more than they did in the first half.