It was a fairy-tale finish, just not the one many neutral observers expected. Unless you caught the half he played for Arsenal's under-21s, you have not seen Danny Welbeck play competitive football since April 26, 2015.
That is, you hadn't, until he trotted on at the Emirates with eight minutes to go, assigned to provide an extra body in the box for what felt like an improbable and increasingly frustrating hunt for a game winner.
Welbeck then materialized unmarked at the near post to steer Mesut Ozil's free kick past Kasper Schmeichel who, for much of the afternoon, had been successfully channeling his dad, Peter, in making a string of crucial saves.
If Arsenal go on to win the Premier League -- and that's a huge "if" -- that may well be the defining moment, or one of them. But if that happens and you're Leicester, you'll point to two poor decisions that cost you.
One was the fact that the free kick was awarded in the first place. Referee Martin Atkinson had asked for four minutes of injury time and they were just about gone when Marcin Wasilewski challenged Nacho Monreal some 30 yards away from his goal by needlessly running into him, like a defensive end delivering a late hit on a quarterback.
This was Monreal -- not Alexis Sanchez, Theo Walcott or Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain -- in an area where the most damage he could do was a hit-and-hope. You would have expected a 35-year-old veteran like Wasilewski to be aware of where he was, who he was and when it was and, instead of lunging, simply put his big body in the way and wait for the whistle. Instead, Atkinson gave the foul, allowing Arsenal one last crack -- and the Gunners took it
The other big call came when Atkinson sent off Leicester right-back Danny Simpson for two yellows in the space of five minutes. Claudio Ranieri was annoyed, pointing out that Atkinson might have been influenced by the crowd's reaction more than the severity of the fouls, which were in keeping with the flow of the game. That may be the case, and the first booking was soft, but Simpson -- who is not a kid but a 29-year-old veteran -- should have known better than to pull down Olivier Giroud the way he did when he knew he was on a booking.
That incident was as clear a turning point as you'll see. Ranieri looked to his bench and had few options. He could ask a midfielder like Andy King to reinvent himself as an emergency right-back. He could turn to 19-year-old left-back Ben Chilwell for his Premier League debut on the opposite flank. Or he could turn to Wasilewski, a man-mountain more suited to center-back than to chase the fleet-footed Gunners but who would at least provide aerial cover and experience. It wasn't much of a choice, and Leicester paid a price for their lack of options as Arsenal repeatedly delivered menacing service to Olivier Giroud & Co. from Wasilewski's flank.
Of course, when it came to poor decisions, it wasn't just Wasilewski and Simpson at fault. Leicester had taken the lead earlier when Jamie Vardy clattered into Monreal's outstretched leg and Atkinson handed out a penalty. The decision, just before half-time, left the crowd incensed. Whichever way you stand on the penalty, there is little question that Monreal should not have defended like that -- not against Vardy and not in that position. It was inviting danger. If Atkinson had had a different angle on the play, he might not have given the penalty. But there was no reason to give him the opportunity to do so, either.
The defeat may sting Leicester, who were excellent for the first hour, but the volume of chances created by Arsenal with the man advantage leaves little doubt that they deserved the three points. If they're not now the title favorites, they're pretty darn close to it.
As for Leicester, once the anger wore off, Ranieri took the loss in stride, giving his players a whole week off. Giving guys who are not used to being in this position (and, this season, not used to losing) some time to clear their heads is not a bad idea. When they come back, they'll still be top of the league with a two-point margin and a schedule that does not look too intimidating.
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