Arsenal 4–2 Leicester City: 

Arsenal sealed a vital victory to cap an entertaining match on a gloriously sunny Saturday afternoon in North London. 

Despite racing into a two-goal lead by half time, with strikes from Gabi Martinelli and Leandro Trossard, the Foxes refused to be overwhelmed, and struck back with two goals by the excellent Justin James, his second a spectacular volley past fit again David Raya.

However, just as battling Leicester's hopes of a hard-earned point appeared to be moving towards an unlikely reality, Mikel Arteta’s side showed their quality to blitz Steve Cooper’s side with two late goals to capitalise on Manchester City being held at Newcastle in the early kick-off. 

Speaking after the match, Arteta, whose side registered more than 30 shots including 14 on target, while totting up 14 corners said: “So happy - that’s what I told them. 

“It got nasty, it got difficult, it was emotionally difficult to accept with the amount of situations that we created and the amount of goals that we should’ve scored but it wasn’t and now what?

"You don’t feel sorry for yourself, you take ownership, you start taking more risks, everybody.”

On 14 minutes Bukayo Saka tested Foxes keeper Mads Hermansen with a low drive from outside the area, but the superb 24-year-old Danish keeper was up to the task. As he was throughout the match, finishing with 13 saves, the most registered in a Premier League game since 2007.

Moments later the busy Saka sent Gabi Martinelli through in the box, but the 23-year-old Brazil attacker lifted his chance over the bar. 

However, the young forward who has struggled lately finished off arguably a more difficult chance in the 20th minute when steering home Jurrien Timber’s cross for the opener to put the Gunners 1-0 ahead. 

With Rodri-less Manchester City only managing a draw at Newcastle United, the opportunity was evident for Arsenal to capitalise on a rare misstep by Pep Guardiola’s side. 

The home side nearly doubled their lead four minutes later when the revitalised Martinelli unleashed a fierce shot at Hermansen, but the former Brondby keeper blocked.  

The Gunners dominance eventually told shortly before half time, with Martinelli teeing up Trossard to make it 2-0 in the first minute of added time.  

Yet if Steve Cooper’s Foxes were discouraged at the blow of conceding a second just before the interval, they hid it well. 

James Justin edged ahead of Kai Havertz from Facundo Buonanotte’s free-kick into the box to halve the deficit two minutes after the restart.

Leicester were buoyed by their opening goal, after looking dead and buried at the end of the first 45 minutes, levelling with a quite superb volley by James for his second of the afternoon, sandwiched between Trossard striking the post.

James, the former Luton defender showed exquisite technique and vision to execute a perfect volley from Wilfred Ndidi’s cross into the box, the ball flying past Raya to make it 2-2 on 63 minutes. 

With 16 minutes remaining, Leicester keeper Hermansen performed a superb save from Trossard, prior to Raheem Sterling replacing Martinelli, and Ethan Nwaneri swapping with Thomas Partey, as the Gunners strove for a third in front of an increasingly fraught crowd, shocked at Leicester’s unlikely comeback. 

As the clock ticked down Riccardo Calafiori’s emphatic header late on, forced a superb reaction save from Hermansen.

Just as it appeared that the Gunners would have to be satisfied with a mere point, when all three looked to be theirs, up stepped Trossard to force Ndidi to put through his own net in the 94th minute to make it 3-2, as the crowd erupted into paroxysms of joy. 

The noise had barely abated when Havertz made it 4-2 moments before the final whistle, following a driving run by Jesus, as the stadium erupted in deep joy once again with a wall of noise.