ARSENAL 4-1 LEEDS UNITED: BY THE VISUALS
ARSENAL 4-1 LEEDS UNITED: BY THE NUMBERS
6 – Arsenal entered Saturday’s game against Leeds United boasting an impressive record, having won six out of their last seven Premier League meetings without facing defeat.
The home team was slow out of the traps and had to rely on Aaron Ramsdale to make a good save to prevent Rasmus Kristensen from scoring in the opening 15 seconds (0.02 xG). Gabriel Jesus missed a great opportunity to score (0.30 xG) by heading over from seven yards around ten minutes in, but would make amends from the penalty spot (0.79 xG, 0.87 xGOT) after being fouled inside the box by former Arsenal youngster Luke Ayling.
4 – Penalties have been given in four out of five previous Premier League encounters involving Arsenal and Leeds United.
3 – Arsenal won their third penalty of the season when Ayling caught Jesus with a stray boot having attempted to make a sliding challenge inside his own box.
At half-time, the statistics overwhelmingly favoured the league leaders as Arsenal dominated possession with a commanding 65%, recorded a higher number of shots (6 with 5 inside the box) compared to their opponents’ 3. In addition, Arsenal won more ground duels (35 to their opponents’ 23) and also won more aerial duels (14 to 9). Despite the lackluster start to the game where it appeared that the international break may have affected the team, The Gunners eventually asserted complete control over the match.
Arsenal doubled their lead in the second half with Ben White scoring his second goal (0.81 xG, 0.97 xGOT) of the season. Jesus secured his brace by finishing a cross (0.76 xG) from Leandro Trossard, before being substituted for Bukayo Saka, who missed out due to illness.
Leeds pulled a goal back through Kristensen (0.10 xG), but Granit Xhaka sealed the win with a goal (0.18 xG, 0.73 xGOT) from a delicious Martin Odegaard pass.
7 – Arsenal have now scored four or more goals during a single game seven times this season.
28 – Touches in the box for Arsenal. Gabriel Martinelli recorded ten, the most of any player, and made two passes into the area (second behind Granit Xhaka (3)).
7 – Jesus’ brace means he’s now on seven league goals for the season, and also ended a six-month goal drought – which included three months out with a knee injury.
27 – Arsenal have now scored in 27 of their 29 Premier League games this season – more often than any other side.
5 – Five Arsenal players have now scored 5+ Premier League goals this season: Gabriel Jesus, Martin Ødegaard, Gabriel Martinelli, Bukayo Saka and the newest entry, Granit Xhaka.
109 – Oleksandr Zinchenko played the most passes of any payer with 109 attempts (80.7% completion rate). He made six progressive passes (ranked third for the match), 88 carries (most) and recorded 116 touches (most).
7 – Leandro Trossard now has seven assists in Arsenal colours. Bukayo Saka is the only Arsenal player with more assists THIS SEASON.
7 – Arsenal became the first team to win seven Premier League games in a row this season.
GABRIEL MARTINELLI’S GAME BY NUMBERS
61 touches, 5 take-ons completed (most), 4 progressive carries, 4 shots, 2 fouls won, 6 shot creating actions and 1 assist
GABRIEL JESUS’ GAME BY NUMBERS
59 minutes played, 46 touches, 4 duels won, 2 fouls won, 11 take-ons, 4 shots, 2 shots on target, 2 goals and 5 shot creating actions
9 – Cup finals to go.
Follow me on Twitter @jonollington
Sources: Opta, fbref, @Orbinho twitter feed
City’s next 6 matches are easier than ours, hope we can keep that gap open.
Thanks for the numbers, always very interesting and insightful.
Their match against us won’t be easier than ours, if you know what I mean and I think you do.
Top stuff, thanks.
I always get nervous reading these because at the bottom of every graph I’m scared there will be:
So if x = 2.8 what is y?
Great analysis 👊🏾
Love the analysis. Thanks
The passing/scoring chance chart really highlighted Trossard’s value. I thought Martinelli’s corners were pretty good, but Trossard’s are better. And the way our front men switch around is dazzling. It’s easy to see why opposition defenses get worn out and confused.
Tross is freaking brilliant. I’m everything all game, all over the pitch. And technically his basically perfect. Special player. Magical stuff on his assist. Heck of a signing!
Thank heavens that The Chavs took Mudryk and we went for Tross instead.
I think there’s an element of the environment in which they are that is playing a part. I’m sure Mudryk would’ve looked better and Trossard worse if they were on opposite sides.
I still think Mudryk will be good, but in the short-term (at least, possibly more) Trossard is a better signing.
I was hoping we would sign mudryk. After watching him a few times now for Chelsea I’m not so sure. I think it’s a bit more than who he signed for. His technique looks lacking, he doesn’t look to have any technical awareness, pace seems to be his only strength. I watch the scouting videos on arsenalvision they seem to have got it spot on with mudryk. The player they preferred was Lindstrom, I see we are being linked with him again for the summer.
Mudryk would have benefitted from having a Ukrainian speaking mentor (and his national team captain) had he come to Arsenal. He would have also benefitted from playing in a comprehensible system that everyone on the team understands and agrees with. There are no dissenters on Arsenal. Chelsea on the other hand does not presently play with “one mind”. Let’s hope they don’t do that anytime soon-like in the next 10 years and 25 managers later. If we were willing to pay silly money for him, I’m guessing he’s extremely talented. Perhaps after failing miserably at Chelsea we can get him… Read more »
How many players in the prem, or even across Europe, have as many assists – since he signed for us, as Trossard? And beyond that, how many players have/have had that level of goal involvement for a new team? His numbers so far must be off the charts
he’s been unbelievable, liverpool couldn’t handle him last time. hopefully he gives them the same next week.
We always had trouble with Brighton, that’s why we took Benjamin and the Tross – both were great on Saturday.
So lucky we have Ramsdale. Gets few mentions, but he makes crucial saves in many games, and in important stages of the games.
Think about all the goalies we have had that panic when those counter attacking chances come? Rammers is the calmest I’ve felt in decades with an arsenal goalie.
Incredible to see in 2nd and 3rd for most progressive passes are our 2 FBs. Shows how incredible our set up is considering most teams you would expect it to be midfielders. Also pleasantly surprised to see how well Martinelli and Saka are outperforming their xG. Keep it up till the end of the season lads pretty please
I take it that, in the stats, one of Zinch touches was the deflection past Ram? Brought up the old debate about whether a defender should turn his back on a shot or not. Thoughts?
Never turn your back.
Thanks a lot, really love the stats and the new style with the match report and xG-s is really neat!
Just wanted to ask, do you have any stats on our crossing before and after Trossard joined? For quite a lot of games I’ve been thinking now that our crossing accuracy seems really high, but I kinda have a feeling that before Trossard joined it was generally quite bad. Thanks!
I was quite pleased when Trossard was signed, I’d seen him on MoTD playing for Brighton and thought he’d be a good squad player. But I don’t think that any of us realised quite how good he would be. El Jefe now has a bewildering choice of attacking players, so many ways of switching the point of our attack both through positional changes and substitutions. It’s a he’ll of a ride!
-he’ll +hell bloody autocorrect!
I think he will want (I do, in any case) another option for the right-hand side. I don’t think it suits any of the Saka alternatives (and I think it might be a bit soon for Marquinhos; not to mention Pepe is surely out the door in the summer).
Yeah when he signed I had him sort of bracketed with Jorghino, a good cheap back-up option without threatening to take Partey’s place, but with Tross, he was even more versatile as he could cover any of the front 3.
But now you feel we have 4 first choice forwards for 3 spots (+ backup from the likes of Smith-Rowe, Nelson and Viera) and we have the potential to do Man City style rotation without any drop in quality at all.
Id be inclined to keep him up top and let Jesus fight for his spot. Deserves to be starting every game with the form he’s in & feel like he’s had a big part to play in martinelli’s revitalization.
Trossard looks like he’s been in Arteta’s Arsenal for 2 years.
Love this analysis. Blown away by Saka’s defensive stats too. I know the whole team work so hard without the ball and it is a huge part of our success, but it is unbelievable to see a wing forward with 10+ assists & goals AND be top 3 for tackles and interceptions.