Arsenal: Ramsdale, Tomiyasu, Holding, Gabriel, Cedric, Xhaka, Elneny, Odegaard, Saka, Martinelli, Nketiah
Subs: Leno, Tavares, Swanson, Oulad M’Hand, Lokonga, Patino, Smith Rowe, Pepe, Lacazette
—
Two goals from Eddie Nketiah helped Arsenal to a 2-1 over 10 man Leeds at the Emirates this afternoon, although it wasn’t as comfortable as it should have been.
With Takehiro Tomiyasu deployed at left back ahead of Nuno Tavares, the Gunners faced an energetic, high-pressing visiting side, but an early goal was a tonic and it came after just five minutes.
Leeds played the ball along the back, then to the keeper, Nketiah pressed him, put in a tackle and into the back of the net from close range. 1-0.
Five minutes later, the lead was doubled. It came from great play down the left from Martinelli, beat the defender, got the byline, looked up, cut it back for Nketiah who swept it home with his left foot for his second of the game. 2-0.
Arsenal continued the pressure, Martinelli was almost put through by Odegaard, before Gabriel picked up a 16th minute yellow card as the opposition made a rare foray into our half.
Saka and Odegaard, plus a delightful flick from the Norwegian, saw Leeds clear, before Saka shot straight at the keeper. Then there was drama when Ayling streamed in two-footed on Martinelli to pick up a yellow card, but after a VAR check the referee rescinded the yellow and issued a straight red card. Raphina was booked in the mayhem, and was lucky to avoid two yellows as he went bananas for some reason – it was a clear red.
Leeds brought on Struijk for Gelhardt, Klich picked up a yellow for a snide foul on Xhaka, and the Swiss created a chance for Martinelli with a precision pass – the shot deflected off the keeper and squirted across the box. An Odegaard free kick deceived the keeper but was cleared off the line by Llorente, and after a tumultuous first half of the first half, the second half of the first half ended in subdued style with Arteta’s men taking the two goal lead into the break.
Leeds made a change at half-time, with Lewis Bate replacing Klich. Odegaard produced a cross which almost presented Xhaka with a close range chance, and the second period began with all the game being played in the Leeds half.
Martinelli left Raphina on his grumpy arse before shooting to the near post, forcing Meslier into a save. A smart Odegaard corner gave Nketiah a headed chance which was cleared away, Martinelli shot just over after the ball broke to him in the box, before Leeds made their final change as Rodrigo replaced Raphina.
Xhaka’s chest down from a Cedric cross saw Martinelli shoot wide, but with their first attempt on goal, Leeds got one back. After winning a corner, the delivery came in, flicked on and Llorente finished at the back post. 2-1.
The goal prompted Mikel Arteta into a change, putting Nicolas Pepe for Saka in the 68th minute, and there was a sense of nervousness around the Emirates. Elneny’s incisive pass helped Odegaard find space for a shot but he pulled it wide of the post, before Smith Rowe replaced a cramping Martinelli with just over 10 minutes remaining.
Odegaard had a free kick on target, but the shot was easy for the keeper, and the flutters continued as the match headed towards the final whistle. A Leeds corner for which Meslier went up almost provided Arsenal a chance on the break but Pepe couldn’t make the most of it.
There was a late chance for Rodrigo, but he headed into the arms of Ramsdale, and in the end we hung on for a big three points and the chance to secure top four at White Hart Lane on Thursday.
Fans: finally one calm game.
Arsenal: hold my beer
Still shaking here, slowly but surely we Will get there.
Arteta should learn how to fire up the team in the middle of these kind of games…
We were lucky at the end.
Yeah, I feel like the red card weirdly took the sting out of us. I’m not sure if that was a complacency thing or Leeds just went into hedgehog on the motorway mode. But it was pretty turgid from then on.
But I really don’t think we need to focus on the negatives. It’s three points. It’s 4 on the bounce. It’s North London Forever.
Result was all that mattered. It’s a cliché but true.
Think everyone is getting a bit over excited about Eddie. Yeah, he’s good and improving, but he can only stay if he accepts he’s gonna be behind two new strikers (Osimhen and Jesus would be lovely). He’d still play loads anyway. Think he’ll regret it if he goes. Also, he wouldn’t be a starter for Palace or similar anyway, and they’ll have less games…
Pepe? FFS 🙄
Spot on
We just can’t do things easily.
It’s not the Arsenal way
’Twas ever thus….
Told someone around the 50th minute I’m finally enjoying an Arsenal game calmly only to turn off the stream at 75 minutes when it appears I can’t survive it. The headache is still there.
😂😂😂
😃😃😃😃😃😃
Wow, we are so sh*t!!
Not really
Not as sh*t as sp*rs or Man UTD but we are sh*t. You have to be sh*t when Leeds were still in the game. If any fan is happy with that performance then they have no clue what football is all about. No chance we beat s*rs on Thursday with this kind of performance. No chance!
Who are playing well right now?
It’s the last few games of the season.
I hate winning too! Wish we had kept the 1st half performance up but Leeds made changes that were effective. We’re sitting a point off 3rd, with a win against a team fighting for survival. Hope you enjoy the 3 points & your Sunday afternoon, roll on Thursday!
Nothing has suggested would be awful against totenham..it’s a derby match…most of the times..form doesn’t play a role…and with 4 points the pressure is on them…we didn’t play well today agreed buh when u look at Chelsea man u….and how we have came back from a three game loss to a four straight win…look at the positive bro
Lol…says a spurs troll! You don’t sound like a gooner!
I think we were unlucky not to be three up to be honest
If you can’t support the team, especially at the business end of the season, then please just f**k right off!
According to the table, there are only three teams that are less shit than us. I’ll live with that.
You are so spurs
Better than playing good attacking football and losing. Our opponents of the day proved over the season that good attacking football without winning put you in bad situations.
Would love to know how you would change your tune if Leeds had scored in the end.
This is a young team that is still learning so every game we don’t do things as well as we should and get away with it is a positive (like today). We were too casual in the second half and trying to score the perfect goal – we’ll learn from that. As for the NLD, form is out the window and it’s a stand alone dogfight of a fixture that any team can win on their day. Spurs probs slight favs with home advantage but a draw the most likely result which will be great for us. COYG
You can’t,we ain’t Chelsea..we can ugly too when it matters
They had – if I’m stretching it – 3 chances. They scored from the ONLY goal we have conceded from a set piece this season. They were lucky
“if” being the key word, they didn’t score and we go into the NLD with a 4 point lead and just one behind Chelsea.
How would you change your tune if Martinelli had scored 2 of his chances, odegaard the late shot and the score was 5-1.
But we didn’t lose did we? Purely hypothetical question. Like saying if we took 7 out of 9 in the 3 in a row we lost are are now 11 clear and 3rd was secured. Man go on a night out with you and you’d order a pint of vinegar
😀 what an analogy, I would have liked some cider but certainly no vinegar 😀
Don’t bother replying to him mate, some people feed on negativity
Playing good attacking football is exactly how you put a relegation candidate down to 10 to bed!
You have to keep asking these weaker teams defensive questions cos they usually don’t have the answers
As it was we left 2 points hanging on a 50/50 chance at the end
For the vast majority of time under Wenger, playing good attacking football, we were very consistent against these smaller sides. Backing off and giving them too much respect is actually what these sides want you to do
Naked Cygan is always shit – COYG
I can’t keep up with who is shit and who isn’t tbh. I just don’t think it’s unreasonable to grumble about today’s performance (even if you’re still glad of the 3 points)
50/50? LMFAO
Yeah.
Three points on Thursday and we’re back in the Champions League.
How shit is that? 🙄
This comment is shit.
If you have some analysis about how the second half was not as conclusive as it should be, I don’t think anyone would disagree, but just saying we’re shit is fucking nonsense.
Tomiyasu makes one hell of a left back
I’m fucking happy we got Tomiyasu. Anyone know how to clone the guy?
Yeah, Aaron Hickey 😉
Japanese….Origami.😉😂
I never knew he had technical ability until today! Some of the passes he pinged for Martinelli would make some attacking midfielders proud. What a player!
He’s going to have to try to shackle Son in the next game
I don’t think he put a “left” foot wrong😉😂
Tomi is just one helluva player 👍👍
I probably died a thousand times after Leeds’s goal! Nervy stuff! Phew!!!
Was dieing with you all the way
Takes a year off my life watching games like these. First half was fun. Second half was asking myself why, why do we have to suffer so much tension??
3 points, all that matters.
Action of the match for me : 75′ Xhaka interception in our owne box to avoid a clear shot on goal… and that Elneny smooth and assured header at 91′ to avoid a corner and some more panic.
Gosh, need to change pants but so so happy we escaped that trap.
On to that sh*thole, let’s celebrate again on Thursday. COYG!!!
Why do Arsenal make it so stressful? They were cruising.
Playing teams fighting for their lives at this point in season is always tricky. Usually such games get messy due to chaos but I am glad we are done with it and only relegation team we will play is Everton and they may well be safe by last GW!!
Abysmal finishing, we are not going to win on Thursday shooting like that. Really poor second half. Nearly sleep-walked to dropped points there.
You sound like a guy that lost a pound and found a penny. Ffs we won. We’re 4 clear unless you are the son on mystic meg no one knows how we will play on Thurs. If you are a true Gooner and some1 said at start of the season we’d get 5th you or any of us would’ve snatched their hand off. Now we are 1 game away from reaching the promised land and you post such negativity? Jeez you (and naked C) must be barrel of laughs on a night out
This season has been a total rollercoaster and there is more to come. True, yesterday’s performance was unbearable ( 2nd half) but, as many had pointed out, at the begining of the season a 5/6th position in the table would have been snatched up from all of us at the begining of the season so if getting Champions League next season means going through these moments so be it. And let’s not forget we are in a transitional process here and we will still be next season so patience and a united front and less negativity is what is needed… Read more »
Awful 2nd half. Slow and arrogant football, thinking it was done. Martinelli just cannot score for all his energy, I would start ESR.
he’s a wide forward. he made the second and got ayeling sent off. could have had one or two himself. what do people expect?
Martineli has very low football iq. He is too disorganized. Hopefully he will get better. He is only 20. But we need a proper assured winger in that position next season.
Congratulations, that might be the most clueless comment I’ve read all season!
Wow!!! Just opinions.
Either his body is too fast for his brain or his brain is plain slow.
Either way his brain is clearly slower than that of all the other youngsters we have.
He shouldn’t start ahead of ESR.
We will definitely need an upgrade in his left wing position.
But again, he is only 20.
You seem like a jolly good midreader!!
Did you see his assist on Gabriel’s winning goal against West Ham? He’s still raw but he thinks fast enough.
Let’s hope we continue the trend of playing well against the better opposition.
Yes of course, but what about the sp*rs game?? We have to win that game too.
Add the trend if scoring early goals to that
Good stuff from Eddie again. That second half was dreadful though. 10 men shouldn’t be allowed to make a game that difficult. We must play better on Thursday.
Yeah, Spurs might want to hit on the counter, and they’re a lot better than Leeds at that. But MA will have the men prepared.
we failed to kill the game at 2:0 and it almost cost us. not sure what we were attempting positioning-wise with Xhaka so high or rotating with Takehiro so often. end of day, it’s three vital points. if we can secure st. totteringham’s at their place, it’s gonna be huge. also, super disappointed with Ayling, always rather liked him. good to see a correct VAR intervention for a change.
Don’t think positioning was an issue really given that we dominated the vast majority of the game, it was just making chances and scoring goals in the second half. Which I think is explicable by the lack of incision in Xhaka and Cedric/Tomiyasu’s play. You could see a couple of occasions where a softer-footed midfielder might have made something happen in Xhaka’s stead, and then more of an athlete might have offered more of a dynamic presence than Cedric. Nketiah also played well but he isn’t on the level of strikers at other clubs (Kane, Ronaldo/Cavani, Havertz/Lukaku, Liverpool’s and City’s… Read more »
yea but that’s why i was surprised with Xhaka drifting into AMC in front of the ball, when we struggled to generate the killer ball – it would seem more logical if he was there to make that pass or would make behind ball runs, not just crowd the area in front.
still, the amount of negativity in these comments is flabbergusting. got three points against the team fighting for their lives, it’s a good day all in all.
Lets celebrate. We are close to get Chelsea, and they have to play Leeds, Liverpool and Liecester.
I think we need to concentrate more on keeping fourth place anything else will be a bonus.
Their game against Liverpool is in the FA Cup Final, not the premier league. I believe their final league game this season is against Watford.
Leeds, Leicester, Watford.
Liverpool game is FA Cup final.
Check out last time cfc played 3 teams at end of season with initials L L W..lost lost won
Leeds, Leicester and Watford. It hardly comes easier. But Chelsea have been hilariously poor of late so you never know.
But a side-effect of today’s win against Leeds (and their second half improvement) is that, for them, beating Chelsea is crucial. Who knows if Leeds will turn up for 90min against Oligarch XI ?
They seem to have switched off, but we just need to concentrate on our games.
I guess their Leeds game can be a very tough one.
Leeds will give them a good run and I think Leeds will take W from that match.
That corner from odegaard to Eddie… *Chefs kiss*
Tomiyasu is such a dream player. Looked like he was playing that hybrid left side of midfield role that Xhaka plays and handled it with aplomb.
I think he could be our 2nd best leftback, best right back and maybe best centreback.
Well, the goal was clearly his mistake.
Yeah.
Was wondering why no one had mentioned that all day.
Tomi should have defended the left back better.
True, for some reason he ran towards the ball instead of defending the far post 😉
I was only able to watch the second half, all nervy after Leeds’ first goal. But my word was Elneny good when we need him most. I count three crucial interceptions in the last 20 mins alone, breaks up play when much needed, and makes assured passes to progress the ball from our danger zone.
Totally agree. IMO he was close to MOTM, but probably just pipped by Martinelli.
We needed the points and got them but we just couldn’t bury Leeds after going two goals and a man up, could we. I’m not confident we’ll get anything from Sp*rs next week so these three points could turn out to be massive come the end of the season. We’ll need to up our finishing though or there will be more (unnecessary) nervy moments.
It depends on two things: Which Arsenal and Which Spuds turn up!
What’s a few more strands of grey hair….
You still have hair left…?
We turn every game into such an anxiety enducer decided on the tightest of margins
We could win our final 3 games by 1 goal, or lose them all by 1
It’s good we have the ability to hold our nerve in most games, especially for a young team. But a killer instinct when we’re on top will go a long way to being able to rest and rotate next year when the fixtures pile up
It’s crazy we’ve only had 3 draws this year
Glad we beat Leeds, not a team I particularly like, especially after their antics in 99 – sending them down again would be justice!! Need to play better at the scum but they will have to show attacking intent (unlike at Liverpoo) so maybe we can play them at their own game and hurt them on the break – repeatedly!!!
Happy for the three points, but boy! what a nervy last ten minutes.
After the Red card, I thought we were going to build up the goal difference column; how wrong I was. 70 pedestrian minutes later, we are killing time hanging on for dear life!
Unbelievable.
Maybe it is to give Spurs a false hope.
I was nervous at 2 nil at home with the opposition down to 10 men. We have to kill games like this off early. Eddie won us that game single handedly almost but other players have to step up when we need a goal.
As blogs said this morning “just win.” Yes but…
Today’s lesson from the season-long tutorial in how not to convincingly see out a game: two-goal lead and an extra man after half an hour. Go!
Phew.
No grumbles, no nit picking. We have the points. That is it, that is enough for today.
Now. One more massive effort on Thursday night.
Let’s hope this young side of ours beat those absolute fucking wannabes and writes the first chapter of what promises to be an incredible story and the return of this club to the European Champions League – where we belong.
Come on The Arsenal.
COYG
Just want to give a shout to the twats who thumb me down, no matter what I write.
Just remember the hate is eating up YOU, not me. 😜
Ridiculous how we keep hanging on for wins, Martinelli and Odegaard should have killed the game and need to add goals to their obvious talents. You can also guarantee our defence will switch off at some point. 3 points is all that matter but this team could lose the next 3 games easily. Nervy end!
It’s the difference between the really top quality teams and the rest. Two goals and a man up yet there was always that nagging doubt with all the missed chances, especially after they scored. Anyway, the points were the thing and we got them. I’d be surprised if we picked up more than a point (at best) against Sp*rs so the win today could turn out to be pivotal for a CL place.
2-0 up and our players are eager to go back to the dressing room and take their shower. It has always been like that. However, Liverpool would have liked to have a victory like this one yesterday.
Well that was a game of two halves. Take the three points and hammer the media darlings on Thursday to cement our place amongst Europe’s elite.
What happened out there after Leeds went down to ten men? That was very unprofessional performance to say the least. We slowed down the tempo and let them settle down, then could not break them down for the rest of the game. Thank God We have 4 points lead over Spu*s. Cause we will not get anything from that game as I see it. Another point – Cedric is a LIABILITY. To say he was abysmal today would be a compliment. Wish we had couple of Tomiyasus’ that we could play on Thursday as wing backs. But winning the final… Read more »
Nearby finish..and if Pepe demanding more game time..this was the ugliest audition he did..
Bagged three important points and against Spurs we play their game, ugly and compact , letting Martinelli og Eddie finish them off on counterattack. If we try to dominate high up they kill us.
But anyhow, we «only» need to win the two last ones
100%. Don’t set out our stall for a point from minute 1 but keep it compact, stop Kane finding the space between the lines & playing in Son behind
With Everton winning today and us beating Leeds, our final game of the season might be a little easier
I thought I was going to have palpitations when the Leeds player flicked the ball into Ramsdale’s hands from that set piece at the end. Please, let it end on Thursday!
We needed to win, we won. End of the story. Leeds had a few moments, so what? We have won games with 10 men before and it’s not a rare occurrence. We have a 4 point lead. Let’s stop the moaning please. This is not FIFA
That was ugly. Thank God for the 3 points.
Looks like we are baiting Spurs with a our recent performances in the last few games.
I hope it works.
We have to learn to put games out of sight and then relax. We have this bad habit of gifting teams back into games we are dominating…
North London forever
Any chance any of the negative post fans could tell me how many points we got from today’s game ? Hmm ?
I’m not a negative post fan..
but I’ll say…4pts ahead of sp*rs.
😉😂
And the 3 points today gives us a little celebration on St Totteringhams Day on Thursday ? Fingers crossed !
Guys, honestly we need to be very grateful. Arsenal played very well and dominated the entire game. It’s only our lack of clinicality. Let’s not even complain at all. Remember we lost 3 easy matches recently against Crystal Palace, Brighton and Southampton. So winning this one is very welcome and a big plus. Even Chelsea lost 2 recently and drew, and same with Tottenham who lost and drew games they should be winning. This goes to show that no game in the premier league is easy. And remember Leeds is a relegation-bound team and, thus, are fighting for their lives.… Read more »
Exactly my thoughts. Please remind them of the Man City debacle in Madrid, or Wolves last gasp draw at Chelsea. I think we need to be grateful we won and not keep moaning.
If the lads put away one or 2 more of the opportunities they made in that first half, would of been out of site by halftime. The nervy ending wasnt needed, but we do things the Arsenal way. Its how the team rolls 🙂
Good win but how we struggled to score from 9 shots on target and 19 overall is beyond me particularly as we were for most parts up against just 9 (Ayling and Firpo non events) Overall we controlled the game well which is a great improvement but there again, we leaked a goal…how? We need to be more clinical both ends still. The plus of course is Spurds drew with Liverpuddle. Which now puts us firmly in command…NLD will be our final. Sure we may afford to lose with 4 points ahead of the Great pretenders, but I should think… Read more »