Leeds vs Arsenal LIVE: Premier League result, final score and reaction tonight
Leeds 1-4 Arsenal: Gabriel Martinelli hit a double, with Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe also scoring with Raphinha’s penalty the consolation for the Whites
Brazilian forward Gabriel Martinelli’s double helped Arsenal ease to a dominant 4-1 win at Leeds United in the Premier League on Saturday.
In the only Premier League game to go ahead on Saturday due to a huge rise in COVID-19 cases among players, Arsenal blew beleaguered Leeds away with a blistering first-half display.
Having shipped seven goals at Manchester City in midweek, Leeds were repeatedly carved apart in the opening period, with Martinelli’s brace putting Arsenal 2-0 up inside 28 minutes.
Frustrations were palpable all round Elland Road as Bukayo Saka added a third for Arsenal three minutes before the break, with the scoreline not at all flattering for the dominant London side.
Leeds did threaten a late comeback when Rafinha converted a penalty 15 minutes from time, but substitute Emile Smith Rowe’s late goal put the game beyond the hosts.
Arsenal’s third league success in a row consolidated fourth spot in the standings, while Leeds‘ second successive hammering left them down in 16th, five clear of the drop zone, but having played three more games than Burnley in 18th.
“I am very happy with the performance, the week that we had, and the way we are moving forward,” Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta said.
“It is always difficult to play against Leeds. They didn’t give up on the second half. I am pleased, it is not easy to play the way we did in this atmosphere. We made a real statement.”
The visitors were well on top from the start against an injury-ravaged Leeds. Home goalkeeper Illan Meslier was forced into a fine save as the hosts’ defence still looked shell-shocked after their mauling at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday.
Saka should have scored from the rebound, but Arsenal did not have to wait long for the opener as Martinelli, leading the line in place of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang who was again left out for a disciplinary breach, arrowed a shot into the top corner.
The Gunners continued to dominate, with Scotland full back Kieran Tierney forcing another fine save out of Meslier, before the hosts mustered their first attack as Rafinha fired wide.
Martinelli, whose Arsenal career has been plagued by injury, made it two after brilliantly latching onto Granit Xhaka’s through pass and lofting the ball over Meslier.
Saka’s goal had an element of fortune about it as a deflection took it past Meslier whose performance ensured it was only three at the break.
Arsenal’s 11 shots on target in the first half is the most in the opening 45 minutes by any side in a single Premier League match since 2003-04, when Opta started collecting such stats.
Leeds improved in the second half and deservedly got a lifeline when Ben White fouled Joe Gelhardt in the penalty area and Rafinha hammered in the spot-kick.
Without injured striker Patrick Bamford, however, Leeds lacked the firepower to complete the turnaround and Smith Rowe’s calm finish ended their faint hopes.
It was the first time Leeds have lost three successive league games under manager Marcelo Bielsa.
“There were more chances generated than the goals that they scored,” Bielsa said. “When we lost the ball in our own half, this increased the amount of chances they (Arsenal) could create.
“Always the support like the team received today is inspiring to us. It is not easy when a team has conceded 14 goals in three games. If the fans were not so supportive of me, I could understand it.”
Leeds vs Arsenal: Gunners in good form
Arsenal will start a match in the Premier League’s top four for the first time since October last year. With nine victories from 19 away league fixtures in 2021 this is their best tally in a calendar year since 2015, when they won 12 times on the road.
Leeds vs Arsenal: Playerss arrive at Elland Road
Both teams have arrived at the ground and are checking out the pitch. It’s a sight for sore eyes with all the cancellations this weekend, the warm ups should get underway shortly.
Leeds vs Arsenal: Unwanted records for Leeds
Leeds equalled their biggest margin of defeat in the 7-0 loss at Manchester City in midweek. They lost 8-1 at Stoke City in the top flight in 1934.
The Whites are also in danger of losing three successive league games for the first time since October to November 2017 in the Championship under Thomas Christiansen.
Leeds vs Arsenal: What’s going on with Covid?
Five of the planned six Premier League games have been postponed today as the Omicron variant of Coronavirus rages through the Premier League clubs.
There is a meeting on Monday between all 20 teams in the league to discuss the escalating crisis and what options remain for the clubs.
Managers and captains are also due to hold their own meetings where the Premier League will answer any questions or concerns they have over the situation.
Aston Villa boss Steven Gerrard said he hoped the meetings would provide clarity to a lot of concerns and unanswered questions as Brentford manager Thomas Frank led calls for all matches to be called off until 26 December to enable a reset.
Leeds vs Arsenal: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Mikel Arteta at a crossroads as striker awaits Arsenal return
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will not return to the Arsenal squad this weekend, but even after he does so that won’t necessarily mean a return to normal. The word from many figures around the club is that, this time, something has broken.
This time represented one disciplinary breach too far. “The situation is much worse than people think,” one source said.
It brings what might seem to be an inevitable personality clash between manager and captain.
Aubameyang and Arteta at a crossroads as striker awaits Arsenal return
His absence has not been felt in back-to-back wins, with several other attackers impressing for the Gunners
Leeds vs Arsenal: Ayling on paying back the fans
Leeds’ Luke Ayling says the support his team has received from the fans has been incredible and he hopes to repay their support on the pitch. He believes the atmosphere at Elland Road will provide the team with the impetus to get a postive result against Arsenal this evening saying:
The fans at Man City stayed until after the game and were still singing our names and cheering us off the pitch. At most clubs you wouldn’t get that, it’s just a credit to them really.
“We’ll go again Saturday to try and put that right. Our home form has been decent, we haven’t lost here for a few months and the home fans have been incredible.
“They’ve been starved of football for 18 months, so they’ve been itching to get back in here. Every home game it has showed.
“If you ask any player that has played at Elland Road this year, I think they’ll tell you how loud and how good it has been. I know they’ll turn up and sing their hearts out, it will be unbelievable.
“We know where we are and we need to start picking up some wins. Our performances, if you take off the one against City, the three of four before that have been good.”
Leeds vs Arsenal: Head-to-head
Leeds United are winless in 10 matches against Arsenal in all competitions since a 3-2 Premier League victory at Highbury in May 2003 - they’ve drawn two and lost eight of those games.
The two sides met at Emirates Stadium in the League Cup fourth round eight weeks ago, with Arsenal winning 2-0.
Leeds have not scored more than once at home to the Gunners in 13 attempts since a 2-1 league win on 18 December 1993.
Leeds vs Arsenal: Team changes
Marcelo Bielsa makes four changes to the Leeds team that was battered by Manchester City during the week. Cody Drameh comes in for the injured Jamie Shackleton, Robin Koch returns to partner Luke Ayling at centre with Mateusz Klich taking Stuart Dallas’ spot in midfield. Junior Firpo is suspended so Dallas starts at left-back. Up top Joe Gelhardt leads the line as Dan James is also out.
For the third game in a row Mikel Arteta names an unchanged side. In the previous two starts for this 11 Arsenal have won both games. Can they make it three from three this evening?
Leeds vs Arsenal: Line-ups
Leeds XI: Meslier, Drameh, Ayling, Koch, Dallas, Forshaw, Klich, Raphinha, Roberts, Harrison, Gelhardt
Arsenal XI: Ramsdale, Tomiyasu, White, Gabriel, Tierney, Partey, Xhaka, Saka, Odegaard, Martinelli, Lacazette
Leeds vs Arsenal: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is not available to face Leeds, Mikel Arteta confirms
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is not yet ready to bring back former captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang into the team.
Aubameyang has been stripped of the armband and left out of the last two Premier League games, the club having taken stern disciplinary action after the Gabon forward reportedly returned late from a trip abroad to visit his ill mother.
Alexandre Lacazette captained the side as the Gunners beat West Ham on Wednesday night to move back up into the top four.
Mikel Arteta confirms Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will not play against Leeds
The 32-year-old has been stripped of the armband and left out of the past two games
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