Arsenal swatted away the pressure of last week’s defeat to Manchester United as they romped to a comfortable 4–0 win away at Leeds United.
Martín Zubimendi headed Arsenal ahead midway through the first half, before Karl Darlow’s inexplicable own goal capped off a dominant opening period for the Premier League leaders.
Leeds threatened to get a grip on proceedings after the restart but the Gunners marshalled the game with real class, and Viktor Gyökeres and Gabriel Jesus both netted in the final 20 minutes to remove any doubt about the final result.
Winners and Losers
Winners
Thrust into the starting lineup just moments before kick-off, Noni Madueke undoubtedly made the most of his unexpected opportunity. His cross set up Martín Zubimendi’s opener and a devilish corner proved too hot for Karl Darlow to handle soon after. This is exactly why Mikel Arteta was so eager to add the former Chelsea man to his squad.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin has caused problems for plenty of Premier League defenders this season, but Gabriel made sure his name was not added to the list. A dominant showing, which saw the Brazilian lead the game in successful duels, helped ensure Leeds never got into the game.
Loser
On a day which was both comfortable and routine for Arsenal, one can only feel sorry for Bukayo Saka. Initially billed as a starter, an injury in the warm-up forced him out of contention and Arsenal now face a nervous wait to determine the severity of his blow. Once again, an in-form Madueke is coming for his position.
Arsenal Player Ratings vs. Leeds
GK: David Raya—6.6: A quiet outing which could barely even be compared to a warm-up.
RB: Jurriën Timber—7.3: Charged up and down the right wing with relentless stamina. Some excellent passes to help break down Leeds’ busy defensive line.
CB: William Saliba—6.7: Had very little defending to do which harmed his overall rating, but a handful of sloppy passes from deep also did him no favours.
CB: Gabriel—7.5: Thoroughly enjoyed his battle with Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who offered very little resistance up against the Brazilian. Gabriel was a dominant force in the air to repel any glimpse of threat from the hosts.
LB: Piero Hincapié—6.8: A mixed performance in an inverted role. Didn’t look comfortable centrally and made a far greater impact when given the freedom of the left wing.
DM: Martín Zubimendi—8.2: The Spaniard’s smart header opened the scoring and set the stage for an authoritative performance. Shielded the defence well and gleefully recycled possession when asked to do so.
CM: Declan Rice—7.6: Kept Arsenal moving forward with a relentless stream of passes, but also enjoyed the defensive side of things as he helped the Gunners win the midfield battle.
CM: Kai Havertz—6.9: Didn’t enjoy the creative freedom afforded to him midweek against Kairat and struggled to link up with those ahead of him. Simply being on the pitch and adding to his minutes tally is a positive.
RW: Noni Madueke—7.5: His delivery into the box was truly sensational. A smart assist for Zubimendi was followed by the corner which led to the own goal, and Madueke could have easily had one or two more assists.
ST: Viktor Gyökeres—6.9: Put himself about physically and caused all sorts of problems for the Leeds back line in that regard. Underwhelmed technically for large parts of the game but did well to convert Gabriel Martinelli’s cross.
LW: Leandro Trossard—7.2: The heavy focus down Arsenal’s right meant Trossard was not as involved as his teammates. Did his job going forward and was happy to help out going the other way.
SUB: Gabriel Martinelli (61’ for Madueke)—6.8: A vicious cross shortly after his arrival gave Gyökeres a much-needed chance to add to his personal tally.
SUB: Martin Ødegaard (61’ for Havertz)—7.0: His positive influence helped turn the tide after a nervy start to the second half for Arsenal. Really forward-thinking with every action.
SUB: Riccardo Calafiori (76’ for Hincapié)—6.2: Perhaps should have added a goal of his own from a late corner.
SUB: Gabriel Jesus (76’ for Gyökeres)—7.6: An excellent finish off the bench to remind everybody of his willingness to fight Gyökeres for his spot in the team.
SUB: Eberechi Eze (81’ for Trossard)—6.4: Had limited time to make himself heard.
Subs not used: Kepa Arrizabalaga (GK), Ben White, Cristhian Mosquera, Christian Nørgaard
What the Ratings Tell Us
- Arsenal rarely needed to get out second gear to dominate Daniel Farke’s side. Most in the squad simply did their jobs, outclassing their hosts all across the pitch and making sure Leeds never had a chance of getting into this game.
- Madueke helped ease concerns over Saka’s injury and will be feeling confident heading into the midweek meeting with former employers Chelsea in the second leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final.
- The return of Kai Havertz gives Arteta another option in midfield, although the German still clearly needs more time to rebuild his fitness and fluidity after so long on the sidelines.
- David Raya’s pursuit of the Golden Glove continues after another defensively dominant performance from Arsenal. He only had one save to make and that came in the 50th minute.
The Numbers That Explain Arsenal’s Comfortable Win
- Viktor Gyökeres’s sixth Premier League goal of the season means the Swede remains ahead of “Own Goal” on Arsenal’s scoring charts after Darlow added a fifth for the latter.
- Arsenal restricted Leeds to just one shot on target, and that came in the form of a tame header. The Gunners never felt in any sort of danger.
- With 51% possession, Arsenal did not exude that sort of dominance during this game. The Gunners had no issues giving Leeds the ball and backed their ability to shut the hosts down, which they did to perfection. A ruthless performance.
| Statistic | Leeds | Arsenal |
|---|---|---|
| Possession | 49% | 51% |
| Expected Goals (xG) | 0.15 | 2.39 |
| Total Shots | 3 | 14 |
| Shots on Target | 1 | 8 |
| Big Chances | 0 | 7 |
| Passing Accuracy | 79% | 79% |
| Fouls Committed | 10 | |
| Corners | 4 | 12 |
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Arsenal Player Ratings vs. Leeds: Gunners’ Title Charge Back on Track.
