LEICESTER, England (AP) - Arsenal’s hopes of finishing in the Champions League qualification positions in the Premier League were damaged by losing 3-0 at Leicester on Sunday after playing more than half the game with 10 men.
Arsenal fell to a third straight loss and stayed in fifth place, missing the chance to climb back into the top four.
Jamie Vardy kept up his hot streak against the Gunners with his late double, making it eight goals in his last nine games against them.
Youri Tielemans opened the scoring with a header in the 56th minute.
Arsenal was up against it after 36 minutes when Ainsley Maitland-Niles was sent off for a second bookable offense. The visitors had goalkeeper Bernd Leno to thank for keeping the score down with fine saves from Vardy and Ricardo Pereira.
Victory also allowed Brendan Rodgers to get revenge over Unai Emery, whose Paris Saint-Germain side beat Rodgers’ Celtic 7-1 and 5-0 in the Champions League last season.
Leicester climbed to eighth, three points behind Wolverhampton Wanderers in seventh place, which may still earn a route to the Europa League.
Arsenal’s best chance of qualifying for the Champions League might be through winning the Europa League. It is through to the semifinals of that competition.
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