Leicester City once again faced defeat despite putting up a strong fight against Arsenal.
On a day when Leicester fans protested against the club’s owners, it seemed they might secure a point until substitute Mikel Merino came off the bench to score a brace.
The loss coincided with Ipswich Town’s draw against Aston Villa, and with Wolverhampton Wanderers set to face Liverpool today (Sunday 16 February), the Foxes could find themselves stranded in 19th place.
Wilfred Ndidi stood out for Leicester once again, making numerous interceptions and tackles while also coming close to scoring in the first half. However, while Ndidi was one of the standout performers, another player deserved equal praise.
Woyo Coulibaly impresses for Leicester against Arsenal:
After James Justin was forced off early in the second half, winter signing Woyo Coulibaly was brought on to fill in at right-back.
Leicester fans had been calling for Coulibaly to start, and the £3 million defender proved why, outperforming many of his teammates.
Coulibaly effectively neutralized Raheem Sterling, making three tackles and three interceptions during his second-half appearance.
Woyo Coulibaly stats vs Arsenal:
Minutes played: 47
Touches: 28
Interceptions: 3
Tackles: 3
Clearances: 1
Ground duels won: 3/4
Accurate passes: 13/14 (93%)
The 25-year-old also showed no hesitation in pushing forward, sprinting up the pitch to support the attack and provide an additional option alongside Bobby De Cordova-Reid and Bilal El Khannouss.
Woyo Coulibaly deserves to start against Brentford:
With Ruud van Nistelrooy confirming that Justin will be assessed ahead of Leicester’s next game against Brentford, an opportunity has arisen for Coulibaly to earn his first start.
Justin has been one of the few consistent starters under Van Nistelrooy this season and, despite some criticism from fans, has shown improvement in recent weeks.
However, Coulibaly’s emergence at the King Power Stadium was a rare bright spot in an otherwise disappointing afternoon on Saturday. The former Parma defender did enough to justify a starting role and could help his teammates turn their season around.
