A Gabriel Jesus brace helped Arsenal restore their eight-point lead at the top of the Premier League with a convincing 4-1 victory over Leeds at the Emirates.
Mikel Arteta opted to start Bukayo Saka on the bench due to illness and the game appeared to be missing his presence in a lacklustre first half.
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Clear-cut chances were few and far between, and in truth, it was the visitors who looked the more likely until Jesus won a penalty in the 32nd minute after a clumsy challenge from Luke Ayling.
The Brazilian, who returned to the starting XI in place of Saka, calmly converted from the spot, waiting for Illan Meslier to commit before rolling it down the middle.
But for all the hosts were well below their best in the opening half, they came out from the break reinvigorated and quickly doubled their advantage in the 47th minute when Ben White smashed home a brilliant Gabriel Martinelli cross.
Some fine link-up play between Jesus and Leandro Trossard unlocked the Leeds defence eight minutes later, as the Brazilian bagged his second, before the visitors hit back through Rasmus Kristensen.
However, that would prove to be nothing more than a consolation as Granit Xhaka put the win beyond doubt with a pinpoint header from a Martin Odegaard cross in the 84th minute.
It was a game of two halves but there’s no denying The Gunners deserved the three points and their seventh league win on the bounce.
Next up for Arsenal is a massive clash against Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday, while Leeds welcome fellow strugglers Nottingham Forrest to Elland Road on Tuesday.
TALKING POINT – GRITTY ARSENAL CLOSING IN ON TITLE
It would have been easy to slip up at this point of the season, especially with City coming from behind to beat Liverpool in the early game. But that’s a sign of the progress this Arsenal side have made under Mikel Arteta.
They’ve now got grit to go with the style and leaned on it in the first half to keep Leeds at bay and take a scrappy 1-0 lead in at the break. The second period was trademark Arsenal as they picked apart their opponents and ran out comfortable victors. Their lead at the top of the table is eight points once again as they close in on a much-deserved first title in 19 years.
PLAYER OF THE MATCH – GABRIEL JESUS
The Brazilian was given a start in place of Saka and took his chance superbly. In a difficult first half for Arsenal, he was the difference, winning and converting a penalty to break the deadlock, arguably against the run of play.
With Leeds chasing the game after the break, gaps started to appear and Arsenal took advantage. Jesus fired a great pass into Trossard and followed up, making a great run into the box to smash home his well-deserved second before being replaced by Saka for the final half hour.
PLAYER RATINGS
ARSENAL: Ramsdale (7), White (9), Holding (7), Gabriel (7), Zinchenko (7), Partey (6), Odegaard (7), Xhaka (8), Trossard (8), Jesus (9), Martinelli (8). SUBS: Tierney (n/a), Saka (5), Kiwior (5), Jorginho (5), Vieira (n/a)
LEEDS: Meslier (5), Ayling (5), Koch (6), Struijk (5), Firpo (5), Aaronson (7), Roca (7), Summerville (7), Harrison (7), Sinisterra (6), Kristensen (7). SUBS: Cooper (n/a), Bamford (n/a), Rutter (5)
Match Highlights:
11′ – WHAT A CHANCE – Zinchenko finds Xhaka in space and the Swiss midfielder floats a perfect ball onto the head of Jesus, but the Brazilian can’t keep his effort down. Let off for the visitors.
32′ PENALTY TO ARSENAL – Against the run of play, Arsenal will have a chance to break the deadlock from the spot after Jesus was brought down by Ayling. VAR will have a look.
35′ GOAL! JESUS SCORES FROM THE SPOT – He won the penalty and scored it, calmly rolling the ball down the middle after waiting for Meslier to commit himself. It’s been far from convincing but Arsenal lead 1-0.
40′ MARTINELLI NEARLY MAKES IT TWO – Arsenal break from a Leeds free-kick. Meslier comes well out of his box to intercept but his clearance falls straight to Martinelli, who floats a shot towards the vacant goal from distance. Ayling spares his goalkeeper’s blushes to scramble the ball out for a corner.
47′ GOAL! BEN WHITE DOUBLES ARSENAL’S LEAD – Martinelli skips past Ayling on the left and fires a brilliant low cross into the back post where White is on hand to smash it home. What a start to the second period for the hosts. 2-0!
55′ GOAL! JESUS BRACE MAKES IT THREE – What a move this is. Vintage stuff from Arsenal. Jesus fizzes a pass into Trossard, who does brilliantly to spin Koch, before firing the ball across goal and into the path of Jesus for the simplest of finishes. All of a sudden, this is becoming a rout. 3-0!
76′ GOAL! KRISTENSEN GIVES LEEDS A LIFELINE – Harrison breaks forward for Leeds fairly unchallenged before squaring the ball to Kristensen. The defender strikes it well first-time and a deflection off Zinchenko takes it past Ramsdale. 3-1!
84′ GOAL! XHAKA MAKES IT 4-1 – Game. Set. Match. Saka feeds Odegaard and the Norwegian floats a brilliant ball into the box. Xhaka is on hand to meet it and guides it past Meslier into the far corner.
KEY STATS
- Arsenal have now surpassed last season’s total of 69 points with nine games still to go
- Javi Gracia has now lost all four of his matches against Arsenal by an aggregate score of 10-1
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