Leicester City manager Steve Cooper was left fuming after a dramatic late defeat against Arsenal, where two late goals denied his team a hard-earned draw at the Emirates Stadium. Leicester fought back from a two-goal deficit thanks to James Justin’s brace, but Arsenal’s late surge left them empty-handed.
Despite Leicester’s determined defensive display, they conceded an own goal when Wilfred Ndidi unintentionally diverted the ball into his net. Arsenal’s Kai Havertz added a fourth goal in the dying moments, sealing Leicester’s defeat.
Following the match, Cooper expressed frustration over two key refereeing decisions. He believed his side should have been awarded a free-kick prior to Arsenal’s first goal. Cooper was also shown a yellow card during the game for protesting what he felt was a foul. He further argued that Arsenal’s Riccardo Calafiori was fortunate to avoid a second yellow card after fouling Facundo Buonanotte.
“It’s frustrating to concede typical Arsenal goals after we worked hard to prevent those situations,” Cooper said. “I don’t want to focus on refereeing decisions, but it was a clear foul on Jamie Vardy before their first goal. And their left-back should’ve been sent off for a second yellow.”
In a press conference, as reported by *LeicestershireLive*, Cooper reiterated his discontent, stating: “We were disappointed not to get the foul on Vardy, and while we don’t look to get players sent off, the decision not to send Calafiori off is baffling.”
Despite the setback, Cooper remained positive, commending his team’s fighting spirit, especially in the second half. “It’s tough to take, but I’m proud of how we played after the break. We scored early in the second half and leveled at 2-2, but luck wasn’t on our side.”
Reflecting on the defeat, Cooper remained hopeful: “It’s another loss, but there’s a lot we can build on. The second half was full of positives, and we need to keep pushing forward.”
