The Independent
"Unai Emery has lamented how Arsenal bought Nicolas Pepe when he really wanted Wilfried Zaha," writes Richard Jolly for the Independent. "If Mikel Arteta has had cause to regret the fee they paid – an inflated figure of £72million that he would no doubt rather have committed to someone such as Houssem Aouar – Arsenal’s record buy gave him reasons to rue his actions as well as his arrival.
"Arsenal’s record buy made a wretched departure, red-carded for headbutting Gjanni Alioski. Arsenal’s chances of victory probably departed with him. It is one win and one goal in five games for a team who expected so much more.
"Arsenal ended up relieved they claimed a point against promoted Leeds United, who had the majority of the chances even before they had a majority of players on the pitch.
"Arsenal were spared defeat by the woodwork, which Leeds struck three times, in a game when both sides’ most expensive signings hit the bar; only one when shooting, though, with the Leeds substitute Rodrigo almost procuring to a spectacular winner.
"Pepe had struck the bar with a cross.
"Little he had tried had come off, however, and his reluctance to track back had left Hector Bellerin overworked and outnumbered."
Mirror
"Perhaps Ceballos is the answer," writes Sam Meade for the Mirror. "Again this week rumours have circulated about Arsenal and Arteta seeking a creative midfielder.
"Even in commentary Neville referenced the Gunners' struggles against teams who sit deep because of their lack of creativity.
"But when you watch Dani Ceballos dictate play you wonder whether their system doesn't get the best out of players like him, rather then the Spaniard not being up to scratch.
"Ceballos is always keen to get on the ball and often the first man his team-mates look for.
"This growing clamour to have someone alongside Thomas Partey could end up being a case of tweaking the system, rather than seeking a new recruit."
"Arsenal were lauded for beating Manchester United at Old Trafford last month but let’s be real about the size of that achievement," writes Dominic King for the Mail. "United are miserable, going nowhere fast, and Arsenal’s form so far does not stamp them out as some rapidly emerging force.
"How the second period would have panned out had they had a full complement is impossible to tell but Pepe’s stupidity actually made things more straightforward for them: once they had lost the Senegal winger, it simply became a case of defending deep and clinging on.
"He’s had enough of dealing with indiscipline this week, following the training ground set to by Dani Ceballos and David Luiz, but this loss of self-control from Pepe will have enraged him, as it so nearly cost them the game.
"Arsenal did have a chance of their own, when substitute Bukayo Saka dashed forward and went around Ilan Meslier but hesitated for a second and allowed the goalkeeper to make a superb save.
"Had Saka scored, it would have been tantamount to larceny."
Telegraph
"Of all the questions to be asked of Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal, and there are many, it is a curious fact that his team can be tenaciously and doggedly resilient when they need to be," writes Sam Dean for the Telegraph.
"This has not been a quality associated with Arsenal for some time, yet Arteta’s side are showing themselves to be consistently capable of digging in deep and protecting their goal.
"As for the rest of their game? Well, there is clearly plenty of work to be done. But all of those issues with creativity and stodgy attacking were forgotten from the moment Nicolas Pepe was sent off for a moment of breathtaking petulance here.
"With Arsenal already struggling against a typically energetic Leeds United, Pepe’s headbutt on Ezgjan Alioski was the height of idiocy.
"His brainlessness sent his side into reverse, forcing them deep into their own half where they had to cling onto their point with genuine desperation.
"From the moment Pepe trudged down the tunnel, Arsenal battled commendably. Rob Holding, Gabriel Magalhães, and Kieran Tierney led their defensive efforts with grit and spirit."
