Drab 1-0 defeat at Arsenal happened because things like that happen

Fresh off their painful ouster from the Champions League last week at the hands of Atlético Madrid, Leicester was tasked with a trip to the Emirates Stadium to take on Arsenal.

An extremely unfortunate own goal from Robert Huth in the 86th minute was the difference in a very dull affair that saw most of the fun come at the end of the contest.

Playing a solid first half, the Foxes were led by the sometimes absent Riyad Mahrez who looked alert and involved for much of the first half.

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His best chance came in the 28th minute when a long throw from Christian Fuchs was headed along to the Algerian who, on the volley, lashed the ball at Petr Cech’s goal. The Czech Republic shot-stopper get his left paw to it and played it over the bar.

The remainder of the first half came and went with Arsenal creating little in the attacking end...that is until Alexis Sanchez tried to take the game into his own hands with a shot from distance that rang off the crossbar to close out the first 45 minutes.

In stark contrast to the first half, Mahrez was erratic and careless with the ball in the second giving it away a number of times en route to the 1-0 defeat.

Few real chances would come for Leicester in the second as they looked to spring on the break whenever Arsenal decided to give up possession. Jamie Vardy looked his usual lonely self up front and wasn’t given much opportunity to create behind a home side back line that, for most of the match, was organized and insistent on the clean sheet.

The breakthrough came in the 86th minute when a shot/cross situation from Nacho Monreal took a wicked deflection off of Huth at the edge of the six-yard box and past Kasper Schmeichel to give Arsenal the narrow lead.

With the remaining four minutes of action, Leicester pushed forward and had a number of half-chances inside Arsenal’s area which were highlighted by an incident between Christian Fuchs and Alexis Sanchez on the touchline.

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With a long throw coming from the Austrian, Sanchez crowded the line and this angered the seasoned defender. A pinged throw smashed off Sanchez shoulder who then grasped his face and fell to the floor. A yellow card was given for diving and rightly so.

And then the final whistle went and the match ended in a 1-0 win for Arsene Wenger’s beleaguered side.

The Foxes return to action on Saturday when they travel to take on West Brom at the The Hawthorns.