*Man City just two more wins away from retaining title
Super Eagles duo of Wilfred Ndidi and Alex Iwobi were in contrasting moods when Arsenal lost 3-0 at the King Power Stadium yesterday.
Both players did not complete the game for their respective clubs in the game Jamie Vardy scored twice as Ndidi’s Leicester dented Arsenal’s hopes of qualifying for the Champions League.
Elsewhere, Manchester City stand just two victories away from retaining their Premier League title after Sergio Aguero’s second-half goal gave them a scrappy 1-0 victory over Burnley at Turf Moor.
Ndidi, who picked a yellow card in the 13th minute of the highly entertaining encounter was replaced by Harvey Barnes in the 46th minute while Iwobi who started the game for the Gunners was substituted at half time by Frenchman Laurent Koscielny.
The unmarked Youri Tielemans headed in a cross from James Maddison just before the hour mark, before Vardy struck late on with a header and a tap-in from close range.
Arsenal played almost an hour of the contest with 10 men after Ainsley Maitland-Niles was sent off.
A third successive Premier League defeat left them a point behind fourth-placed Chelsea, who face Manchester United at Old Trafford at 16.30 BST on Sunday.
Leicester can still finish seventh – they are three points behind Wolves with two matches left – which could earn a Europa League place depending on the outcome of the FA Cup final.
Arsenal’s task was made significantly more difficult after Maitland-Niles was sent off for the first time in his career following two bookings in the space of 28 minutes – for a soft foul on Ben Chilwell and then needlessly scything down Maddison near the halfway line.
However, a three-goal margin flattered Arsenal and, even with a full complement of players, it is difficult to envisage a different outcome such was the conviction of the performance of Brendan Rodgers’ Leicester.
Arsenal were indebted to goalkeeper Bernd Leno for a string of fine saves, the pick a magnificent one-handed diving effort to paw away a Wilfred Ndidi header.
Arsenal fans must be fed up with the sight of Vardy, such is the former England’s striker’s potency against them.
He has scored eight goals in as many matches against the Gunners – and now has 10 in his past nine appearances against any opposition.
While much has been made of the young squad that Rodgers will seek mould at Leicester, 32-year-old Vardy remains an influential presence.
He may not quite have the explosive pace which fired Leicester to the title in 2015-16, but the intelligence and timing of his runs remain sharp.
His first goal came after he lifted the ball over Leno, watched it rebound against the crossbar, then headed it home.
His second, in the fifth minute of stoppage time, was a routine finish from Ricardo Pereira’s low cross.
Arsenal have won only twice away from home in the league this season.
In the Manchester City versus Burnley clash at Turf Moor, Aguero’s 64th-minute goal – bundled in and given via goal-line technology despite Matthew Lowton’s attempted clearance – summed up much of City’s performance as Burnley’s organisation and resilience threatened to keep them out.
Gabriel Jesus had another effort kicked off the line by Ben Mee and while Burnley rarely threatened, City knew only victory would do or the initiative would be handed back to Liverpool. It was duly secured with a 12th successive league win.
Burnley goalkeeper Tom Heaton also saved from Aguero, Aymeric Laporte and Bernardo Silva in a City performance that was average for long spells – but the main priority of three points was achieved and they know victory at home to Leicester City and away at Brighton will ensure they keep the crown.
