Arsenal vs. Leicester: Team News, Predicted Line-Ups, Live Stream and TV Info

After suffering the pain of a defeat in the north London derby, Arsenal have a chance to put things right immediately against Leicester City.

Arsene Wenger could not have hand-picked a better fixture: The Gunners will face the team who currently sit bottom of the Premier League table.

It’s a daunting task for Nigel Pearson’s side, but perhaps a lack of expectations will liberate the struggling Foxes.

Date: Tuesday, February 10

Time: 7:45 p.m. GMT/2:45 p.m. ET

Venue: Emirates Stadium, London

TV Info: NBC Sports Live Extra (U.S.)

Live Stream: NBC Sports (U.S.)

Form Guide (last five results of both teams)

Arsenal

L (2-1) vs. Tottenham Hotspur

W (5-0) vs. Aston Villa

W (2-3) vs. Brighton and Hove Albion        

W (0-2) vs. Manchester City

W (3-0) vs. Stoke City

Leicester

L (0-1) vs. Crystal Palace     

L (3-1) vs. Manchester United

W (1-2) vs. Tottenham Hotspur    

L (0-1) vs. Stoke City

W (1-0) vs. Aston Villa 

Both sides suffered defeat in their most recent Premier League match. For Arsenal, that loss at White Hart Lane ended a strong run which had seen them unbeaten since New Year’s Day.

Although both teams have progressed in the FA Cup, their focus is very much on the Premier League at present. Leicester are fighting to stay up, while Arsenal are fighting to avoid relegation from the Champions League places.

Team News

Arsenal will continue with the variation on 4-3-3 that has brought them their impressive form in 2015. Wenger will most likely avoid the temptation to give Gabriel Paulista a debut, with the Brazilian yet to adapt fully to his new surroundings.

At the top end of the pitch there could be some rotation. Theo Walcott is likely to come in for Danny Welbeck, while Tomas Rosicky also provides Wenger with an alternative midfield option to either Mesut Ozil or Santi Cazorla.

Alexis Sanchez was adjudged short for the Tottenham game but is likely to make the matchday squad for this fixture. Given the opposition, Wenger may see fit to take a cautious approach and start him on the bench.

Possible Arsenal XI vs. Leicester City

Leicester played two strikers away at Old Trafford a fortnight ago, and Pearson is likely to adopt the same strategy at the Emirates Stadium. The Leicester boss will most likely view Arsenal’s back four as the weakest part of their side and will hope that two from the trio of David Nugent, Leonardo Ulloa and Andrej Kramaric can exploit any potential weakness.

Players to Watch

Arsenal: Mesut Ozil

Clive Rose/Getty Images

After his goal against Tottenham, Ozil has now scored in three consecutive starts.

Even though Santi Cazorla’s form has seen Ozil pushed out wide to the left wing, he is showing signs of recapturing the form that dazzled English football upon his arrival from Real Madrid.

Leicester will face a difficult task keeping a reinvigorated Ozil quiet.

Leicester: Riyad Mahrez

Tony Marshall/Getty Images

Pearson will be delighted that Mahrez has returned early from the Africa Cup of Nations. After Algeria were knocked out in the quarter-final, Mahrez was immediately recalled to Premier League duty.

It’s easy to see why: The tricky winger has been Leicester’s chief creative outlet this season. Mahrez will look to provide Nacho Monreal with a stern test by cutting in from his preferred position on the right flank.

Key Battle

Can Santi Cazorla Escape Esteban Cambiasso?

Santi Cazorla’s failure to get into the game at White Hart Lane left Arsenal looking surprisingly blunt in attack. Pearson will have taken note, and he is likely to charge veteran midfielder Esteban Cambiasso with shutting down the diminutive Spanish playmaker.

Lefteris Pitarakis/Associated Press

In recent weeks, Cazorla has become integral to Arsenal’s approach play. He has a remarkable ability to keep the ball in tight areas and the vision and technique to create goals out of nothing.

If Cazorla is given room to flourish, Arsenal should have too much for Leicester. However, on the evidence of the Spurs game, squeezing him out of the game could leave the Gunners lacking inspiration in the middle of the park.

James McNicholas is Bleacher Report's lead Arsenal correspondent and is following the club from a London base throughout the 2014-15 season. Follow him on Twitter here.