Long injured striker, Danny Welbeck came off the bench to score the decisive goal in the 94th minute as a 10-man Leicester were denied a vital point in the cruelest of circumstances.
Welbeck last pulled on an Arsenal shirt nine months ago and hadn’t found the net for the Gunners in 10months, but he couldn’t have announced his return to the fold in more emphatic fashion, with a goal that puts the Gunners back in the hunt for a first title in 12 years.
Arsenal started the game brightly, but just couldn’t break down a resolute Leicester defence, with Robert Huth, Wes Morgan and Kasper Schmeichel heroic in defence.
And the pendulum swung the other way on the stroke half-time when Jamie Vardy was tripped in the box byNacho Monreal, and the striker got up and duly despatched the spot-kick, sending Petr Cech the wrong way.
The game’s turning point came early in the second half though, when Danny Simpson received two yellow cards in quick succession and his dismissal left Claudio Ranieri with no option but to sacrifice key man Riyad Mahrez.
Leicester were blunted as a creative force from that point on and Arsenal levelled through substitute Theo Walcott, who found the bottom corner after Olivier Giroud had nodded the ball into his path.
Leicester, visibly shattered to a man and drawing on every reserve of energy to see the game out, defended for their lives with Schmeichel pulling off a string of saves that seemed to be sending the game to a draw, one which Leicester would have richly deserved.
Late drama denied them though as Marcin Wasilewski was drawn into a needless foul on Monreal and, Danny Welbeck, freshly off the bench, leaped high to nod Mesut Ozil’s ball into the net, sending the Arsenal fans wild and breaking Leicester hearts.
The result sends Arsenal second, and cuts Leicester’s lead to two points.
