Arsenal returned to winning ways in the Premier League after recovering from a goal down to beat Leeds 2-1 at the Emirates Stadium.
Mikel Arteta’s champions needed an answer after their surprise 3-0 defeat at Brighton before the international break, and Leeds made them work much harder than many would have expected.
The visitors frustrated Arsenal throughout the opening half.
Arteta’s side saw plenty of possession but struggled to play through a compact Leeds shape, while David Raya made several important interventions at the other end.
Arsenal continued to look vulnerable after the restart and fell behind in the 55th minute, with Gabriel Gudmundsson escaping down the left and picking out James Justin, who sent a powerful finish through a host of bodies in the penalty area.
That goal finally brought some urgency from the hosts.
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Arsenal 2-1 Leeds United Match stats |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Total |
Arsenal |
Leeds |
|
Possession |
60% |
40% |
|
Total shots |
12 |
11 |
|
Shots on target |
5 |
5 |
|
Shots off target |
4 |
3 |
|
Shots blocked |
3 |
3 |
|
Corners |
2 |
4 |
|
Total passes |
400 |
378 |
|
Pass accuracy |
86% |
81% |
|
Saves |
4 |
3 |
|
Successful tackles |
9 |
9 |
|
Interceptions |
6 |
9 |
|
Crosses |
14 |
18 |
|
Fouls committed |
12 |
20 |
|
Yellow cards |
1 |
4 |
|
Red cards |
0 |
0 |
|
Offsides |
7 |
4 |
Noni Madueke delivered towards the back post seven minutes later, with Ben White heading the ball back across goal and Riccardo Calafiori reacting quickest to find the net despite James Trafford getting a hand to his finish.
Arteta was already preparing a triple substitution when the equaliser arrived.
Bruno Guimarães, Jurrien Timber and Viktor Gyökeres entered the game, giving Arsenal fresh energy as Leeds began to lose control.
Guimaraes needed only a few minutes to make the decisive impact.
Bukayo Saka and Martin Ødegaard helped Arsenal work the ball into a dangerous central position before Declan Rice produced a clever touch to release the Brazilian.
The substitute kept his composure and guided a low effort beyond Trafford from the edge of the box, completing the turnaround in the 70th minute.
Arsenal should have made the closing stages more comfortable. Rice created another opening near the byline, while Saka and Gyokeres both passed up chances to put the result beyond doubt.
Still, the Gunners protected their advantage and moved onto 15 points, drawing level with Man City.
Danny Murphy names Arsenal star who ‘stood up’ in Leeds comeback
While Guimaraes delivered the winning moment, former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy felt Rice was the player who drove Arsenal through a difficult afternoon.
Speaking via the BBC, Murphy said:
“Declan Rice stood up when someone needed to get on the ball and make things happen, to carry possession.
!He had some great defensive moments as well. Last ditch tackles, plus a couple of great headers and interceptions. He looked like he was well rested after the international break.
“Maybe that’s a blessing for Arsenal today. Rice was back to athletic and quality best. We know he’s got it in abundance late in the game. Maybe if you look at the Brighton loss, it wasn’t quite there.”
His defensive work was so valuable when Arsenal came under pressure.
Leeds repeatedly attempted to move quickly into wide areas, meaning Rice had to cover more ground and help a back line which never looked completely secure.
It wasn’t Arsenal’s most convincing performance by a long way, but champions often need to find answers when their usual rhythm is missing.
Arteta’s changes altered the contest, but Calafiori provided the response and Guimaraes supplied the finish.
Rice, however, was the player who held it all together.
After an unusually subdued showing at Brighton, this was much closer to the commanding midfielder Arsenal need in their biggest moments.
