Hignett denies Arsenal win
December 4 , 2003
Leicester 1 Arsenal 1

Arsenal looked to be going back to the top of the Premiership courtesy of Gilberto Silva's goal. They were reduced to 10 men when Ashley Cole was dismissed for a wild two-footed challenge. But they looked to have held on until Hignett fired home from close range two minutes into time added on. Arsenal went into the game without their skipper Patrick Vieira and star striker Thierry Henry. And for much of the game they looked desperately short of ideas without Henry's pace and guile up front. It was a typically determined display from Leicester as they harried the Gunners and never gave them any time on the ball. The Foxes provided plenty of danger from set-pieces, and from an early Riccy Scimeca free-kick James Scowcroft headed just past the post, although Les Ferdinand was ruled offside as he tried to apply the final touch. Ferdinand proved a menace to the Arsenal defence two days short of his 37rd birthday and he took the ball round goalkeeper Jens Lehmann before shooting wide from the tightest of angles. Chances were few and far between in a scrappy first half, with Leicester looking the more likely to get the breakthrough. The impressive Callum Davidson curled an effort narrowly wide of the far post from 25 yards out as the Foxes finished the first half on top. The game was played in front of a new Walkers Stadium record crowd of 32,108 and they were finally given some excitement early in the second half. Gilberto had a long-range drive tipped around the post by Ian Walker at full stretch. At the other end, Marcus Bent turned back inside Sol Campbell and went crashing to the floor, but his appeals for a penalty fell on deaf ears. Arsenal took the lead with virtually their first real chance of the game Bergkamp skipped past a weak challenge and put in a pinpoint cross for Gilberto to power a header home. The Brazilian was denied a second by Walker's acrobatic point-blank save as he met Bergkamp's free-kick with a scissor-kick that the Leicester keeper just managed to push onto the post. Leicester were forced to change their game plan and throw men forward. That seemed to suit Arsenal as they found more space and looked far more dangerous on the counter-attack. But Cole needlessly got himself sent off for a wild challenge on Ben Thatcher and despite his protests the left-back was shown a straight red. There were some nervous moments for the visitors late on, but if any side has learnt to play with 10 men it is Arsene Wenger's side. But with time running out Impey played a hopeful long ball that Scowcroft headed down for Hignett to score from close range and earn his side a point.