There’s no other way to put it – that was a performance of champions from Arsenal.
Having fallen to that dire defeat away to Brighton and Hove Albion before the international break, it felt like more of the same in the opening hour or so this time around, with Leeds United rampant right from the off.
The visitors took a deserved lead at the Emirates through James Justin, yet, to their credit, the Gunners responded in style to seal a vital 2-1 win on Saturday afternoon.
How Arsenal turned it around against Leeds United
As noted above, Leeds flew out the traps in north London, with Daniel Farke’s men showcasing why they had been unbeaten in the Premier League this season heading into this fixture.
Led by the imperious Dominic Calvert-Lewin, the away side caused all sorts of problems with their high press, with the Gunners left thankful for David Raya’s heroics to deny the likes of Gabriel Gudmundsson and Ao Tanaka.
When Justin lashed in the opener after a fizzing Gudmundsson cross, it felt like nothing more than Leeds deserved, with Mikel Arteta‘s men heading for a Brighton repeat at that stage.
And yet, the response was swift and emphatic from the champions, with Riccardo Calafiori bouncing a header past James Trafford to spring Arsenal, and the Emirates, into life.
Inspired by Arteta’s second-half changes, it was the north London side who then took full control thereafter, with substitute Bruno Guimaraes making the difference again with a delightful, drilled effort from range.
Denied a third by Trafford as Bukayo Saka raced clear at the death, it was certainly a positive finale for those in red and white. It hadn’t started that way, however, not least for the likes of Ben White.
Why Ben White remains a concern for Mikel Arteta
With Arsenal still managing Jurrien Timber’s fitness carefully, it once again fell to White to take on that right-back berth up against the side where he once made his name out on loan.
To say it was a happy reunion would be incorrect, however, the Englishman enduring an afternoon to forget for the most part, as Leeds exploited the space down that flank time and again.
White appeared to have no answer for the flying Gudmundsson, as the Swede bombed forward at will from his wing-back berth, including in the build-up to Leeds’ opener.
|
Match Stats |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Arsenal |
Stat |
Leeds |
|
58% |
Ball possession |
42% |
|
123.4 km |
Distance covered |
123.2 km |
|
2.58 |
Expected goals (xG) |
0.68 |
|
4 |
Big chances |
3 |
|
13 |
Total shots |
11 |
|
4 |
Goalkeeper saves |
4 |
|
125 |
Number of sprints |
128 |
|
2 |
Corner kicks |
4 |
|
12 |
Fouls |
20 |
|
513 |
Passes |
354 |
|
12 |
Tackles |
10 |
|
20 |
Free kicks |
12 |
|
1 |
Yellow cards |
4 |
On the ball too, the Arsenal man was found wanting, losing possession more times in the first half (11) than any other player on the pitch.
It was no surprise to see him replaced by Timber on the hour mark, even if he had supplied the assist for Calafiori with a clever header just minutes earlier.
That key moment did atone somewhat for White’s all-round performance at least, with there no doubt other issues for Arteta to solve despite the 2-1 victory.
Why Arsenal star needs to be benched after Leeds
Eyebrows were raised when the team sheet dropped early on Saturday, with Noni Madueke notably getting the nod in place of the injured Christos Tzolis down the left flank.
Equally, too, it was also something of a surprise to see Champions League final goalscorer, Kai Havertz, leading the line from the start, the 27-year-old having suffered a hamstring injury while on Germany duty.
The former Chelsea man had seemingly been cleared to play, yet aside from an early header on goal from a Madueke cross, he was wholly ineffectual, failing to replicate the type of form he’d showcased before the break.
He’s undoubtedly been in fine fettle this season, scoring twice already in the Premier League, yet Havertz just couldn’t get himself into the game on Saturday, registering just 23 touches in total.
That was comfortably less than even the aforementioned Raya racked up in the sticks (47), with Havertz also failing to register a single key pass or attempt a single dribble.
Indeed, he also failed to register a tackle or win a ground duel, with the Gunners looking like a far bigger threat once Viktor Gyokeres had taken his place in the second half.
Gyokeres, an unused substitute in three of the five league games this season, has been shackled to the periphery so far, yet he may well have gained confidence from a fine international break, having scored in all four of Sweden’s Nations League games.
As the game got stretched, the 28-year-old really made a nuisance of himself off the bench, notably supplying a clever flick to tee up Saka for that stoppage-time chance.
After scoring three goals against Leeds last season, perhaps Gyokeres merely loves playing against them, but this latest cameo was a reminder of what he can offer as a traditional, old-fashioned number nine.
Injured or not, Havertz was rather anonymous by contrast in the opening hour or so, with Arteta left with a decision to make regarding the future of this number nine berth.
Thankfully, as Saturday showcased, the strength in depth at Arsenal is truly supreme.