Arsenal regains strength and composure in a notable victory under Arteta against City.
LEEDS — Regardless of the outcome that lies ahead for Arsenal in this Premier League title contest, they are resolute in pursuing their own approach. Much of the discussion following last weekend’s 3-2 loss to Manchester United revolved around the notion that the Gunners must adopt a different strategy to secure their first league title since 2004.
Mikel Arteta mentioned a clarifying meeting the following day, where they committed to “live and play with enjoyment … courage … and conviction they are going to win it.”
The decision to bench captain Martin Ødegaard against Leeds suggested a shift in tactics. Ultimately, they dominated Leeds United 4-0 on Saturday, showcasing a performance that epitomized Arteta’s Arsenal.
A goal from a recycled corner, another directly from a corner, a close-range finish by Viktor Gyökeres, and a late strike from substitute Gabriel Jesus ensured a victory that restored their seven-point lead at the top of the table.
While it may not have been particularly “entertaining” — the football was once again methodical — it represented Arsenal at their most effective. They stifled Leeds and their passionate Elland Road supporters with a level of control that they only briefly relinquished as the home side attempted to rally early in the second half.
Courage was evident, and they certainly displayed conviction. Importantly, this was Arsenal being true to themselves. There was no hesitation or uncertainty. This is how Arteta envisions Arsenal winning the league: by dominating possession and territory, capitalizing on set-pieces, and deploying the “finishers” to finalize the outcome.
This combination was a highly commendable response to their three-match winless streak. It is no surprise that Arteta was pleased.
“The mentality is good,” Arteta stated. “I mentioned it to you, to play with that level of enjoyment about where we are and then with the conviction to believe in what we do, how good we are, and that we can defeat any opponent.”
“We certainly did that. And then you have to demonstrate the quality to do it in this league to prove it, and it manifested in great ways from various avenues as well.”
play1:25Arteta hails Madueke for performance after Saka’s warmup injury
Mikel Arteta reflects on Arsenal’s 4-0 victory over Leeds United and the performance of Noni Madueke, who was a late addition to the starting lineup.
The initial hour was the most fiercely contested segment of this match, during which Arsenal’s physical strength and set-piece capabilities proved decisive. Noni Madueke only started this match due to Bukayo Saka sustaining a hip injury during warm-ups, but he emerged as their most potent threat.
His corner in the 27th minute was cleared, but Arsenal recycled the ball to the England international, who delivered an excellent cross that Martín Zubimendi headed into the net.
The atmosphere in this historic venue rarely quieted during the first half, but there was a noticeable silence whenever Arsenal earned a corner. Perhaps the crowd anticipated what was forthcoming.
The Gunners’ seventh corner of the half was delivered with such intensity by Madueke that Leeds goalkeeper Karl Darlow could only rise above the cluster of players in front of him and inadvertently punched the ball into his own net.
Leeds manager Daniel Farke made a double substitution at halftime, and they began to see more of the ball, but Ødegaard excelled upon his introduction alongside Gabriel Martinelli after 61 minutes. His clever pass released Martinelli, who provided a cross for Gyökeres to convert in the 69th minute, extinguishing any hopes of a Leeds revival.
Jesus added a fourth goal four minutes from the end, receiving Ødegaard’s pass and skillfully creating space for himself in the box before finishing low into the net.
Leeds concluded the match with only three shots and an expected goals figure of 0.15 — the third-lowest total of any team Arsenal has faced across all competitions this season.
This defensive solidity was the cornerstone of their rise to the top of the table initially and was emphatically restored here.
“[That control] is something that we desire,” Arteta remarked. “You always have an opponent in front of you who will challenge that, and you must execute the actions and be very, very consistent if you wish to avoid conceding anything. Really impressive because it is a very tough team to achieve that against, and collectively, we accomplished it.”
Farke could not dispute this: “They were on it from the first to the last second. Whatever we attempted, they always had a response. We were not really able to create opportunities.”
Arsenal’s attacking fluidity remains somewhat unconvincing. “Own goal” briefly tied as their top scorer in the league this season before Gyökeres’ contribution put him ahead with six. After squandering a golden opportunity when clean through at 2-0, he continues to face a challenge in justifying his €63.5 million transfer fee, but his goal will assist in that regard.
As a unit, Arsenal regained their strength and composure to reaffirm their position in the title race with Manchester City set to face Tottenham and Aston Villa hosting Brentford on Sunday.
Arteta discussed “bringing the temperature down” in his meeting with the players on Monday. However, nothing will have achieved that quite like winning so decisively as this, especially as they reinforced their own identity in the process.
Over to you, City.
