Ethan Nwaneri inspired Arsenal to a 2-0 victory over Leicester as the Gunners sent a strong message to Liverpool with a late flurry at the King Power Stadium. Mikel Merino came off the bench to score a decisive brace as the Gunners remained in the Premier League title race.

Nwaneri had excelled even before he crossed for Merino to break the deadlock in the 81st minute. The makeshift forward then struck again six minutes later to move Arsenal four points behind Liverpool, with the Reds facing Wolves tomorrow.

There were still some underwhelming performances that Mikel Arteta will need to resolve if Arsenal are going to win the league. This should have been a more comfortable performance against the Foxes.

Express Sport rates each Arsenal player

Arsenal player ratings vs Leicester (4-3-3)

David Raya – 6

Leicester had just two shots on target, with the most threatening being Wilfred Ndidi’s low drive in the first half. Raya had very little to do.

Jurrien Timber – 6

Timber had a tricky game up against Jordan Ayew, who can be a threat in transition. The Dutchman’s work in possession was impressive.

William Saliba – 6

Saliba has taken on a habit of conceding cheap free kicks. One instance in the first half saw the Frenchman barge into the back of Jamie Vardy, with Leicester able to apply pressure on Arsenal. Saliba was otherwise okay.

Gabriel – 6

Leicester dealt well with Gabriel’s threat from set-pieces. The Brazilian otherwise defended well.

Myles Lewis-Skelly – 7

Criticism of Arsenal’s recruitment has centred around their forwards. But it can also apply to the decision to spend £42m on Riccardo Calafiori – a good player in his own right – to improve the left-back position, when Arteta surely would have known just how good Lewis-Skelly was. This was another top performance – including a goal-saving challenge in the second half – from an 18-year-old who is now a certain starter.

Declan Rice – 6

Rice was combative and performed well in and out of possession. He’s one of several Arsenal stars who need to take on more attacking responsibility without a recognised striker.

Thomas Partey – 6

Like Rice, Partey did a good job in front of Arsenal’s defence. His assurance allows Rice to move forwards.

Martin Odegaard – 6

Odegaard performed okay but Arsenal need their captain to be scoring sevens and eights at a minimum in these ratings until the end of the season. A couple of creative passes threatened to open up the Foxes, but we everyone knows the Norwegian can elevate his game several levels higher.

Ethan Nwaneri – 9

Arsenal’s success in their final 13 games may hinge on a 17-year-old. And yet Nwaneri seems to have the mentality to shoulder every bit of that responsibility.

He clipped the bar with a trademark left-footed strike before thrashing a right-footed drive against the post. It was then the academy graduate’s delicate cross which was headed in by Merino. A top, top performance.

Leandro Trossard – 4

Arsenal had just one shot on target before the hour mark. If Trossard is the man to solve the striker issue then Arteta has a major problem. The Belgian received more support from a further-forward Odegaard in the second half but Leicester’s central defenders had as easy a 70 minutes against him as they’ll have had all season. Things only changed after Merino’s introduction.

Raheem Sterling – 4

Arsenal might have more luck putting Sterling in the middle of the attack, although Merino will surely have that position to himself for now. The 30-year-old is no longer a direct winger – even in the last few years of his Man City career, he was a wide forward whose best work was done in the opposition penalty area.

This was a poor performance from a loanee who looks lost in this Arsenal team.

Substitutes

Mikel Merino – 9 (for Sterling ’69)

Express Sport picked out Merino as a rogue striker option for Arteta last week. And it was the Spaniard who rose from the bench to save the day after Trossard and Sterling struggled. Merino headed in Nwaneri’s cross before tapping home Trossard’s cross. He will surely be the centre-forward for the remainder of the season.

Jorginho (for Partey ’75) – 6

Jorginho helped Arsenal dictate the tempo in the final 15 minutes.

Riccardo Calafiori (for Lewis-Skelly ’76) – 6

Calafiori continued the good work done by Lewis-Skelly at left-back.

Kieran Tierney (for Trossard ’89) – N/A