Premier League
Arsenal 2 (Calafiori 62’, Guimarães 70’)
Leeds United 1 (Justin 55’)
Arsenal: Raya (GK), White (Timber 63’), Gabriel, Saka, Ødegaard (C), Konsa, Madueke, Havertz (Gyökeres 63’), Calafiori, Rice, Lewis-Skelly (Guimarães 63’). Subs not used: Arrizabalaga (GK), Hincapié, Eze, Merino, Zubimendi, Dowman.
Leeds: Trafford (GK), Bogle (Bahoya 85), Gudmundsson, Ampadu (C), Muharemović, Calvert-Lewin, Stach, Okafor (Aaronson 71’), Tanaka (Wilson 71’), Justin (Nmecha 79’), Elvedi (Bijol 85). Subs not used: Zetterer (GK), Bard, Longstaff, Gruev.
Venue: Emirates Stadium | Attendance: 60,315 | Referee: Paul Tierney | Booked: Odegaard; Tanaka, Ampadu, Muharemović, Justin.
Leeds United fell to a narrow 2-1 defeat at the home of the Premier League champions after taking a second half lead.
Unchanged from the meeting with Crystal Palace prior to the international break, play got underway in the capital. James Trafford was called into action early on, diving to his left to smother a Bukayo Saka effort before the flag eventually was raised against the Arsenal man.
United went close to opening the scoring when an Anton Stach delivery fell the way of the onrushing Noah Okafor. From the edge of the area, the forward looked to pick out the corner but saw his effort deflect narrowly wide.
After a quick break down the left, the hosts worked the ball to Noni Madueke. The attacker crossed into the path of Kai Havertz though the German could only head straight at Trafford.
On the break Leeds were starting to find joy and were desperately unlucky to not take the lead when Gabriel Gudmundsson’s dangerous ball fell to Stach at the back post who volleyed on target, only for it to hit Jayden Bogle and spin away from danger.
Moments later, Dominic Calvert-Lewin did well inside the Gunners’ penalty area to react after a cross from the left was flicked on and forced a fine close range save from David Raya in the home team’s goal.
Just after the half hour mark, the Arsenal keeper again came to his side’s rescue, scampering back to clutch an Ethan Ampadu header after he had originally found himself in no man’s land.
Raya’s impressive first half continued approaching the break, parrying a rasping Gudmundsson drive after the full-back latched onto an enticing delivery at the back post and let fly.
HALF TIME: Arsenal 0-0 Leeds United
Both sides emerged from the interval unchanged. Arsenal enjoyed the early spells of possession and worked the ball to Madueke on the left. The forward found the run of Martin Ødegaard who struck low but Trafford got down well to make the save.
On the break, Bogle laid the ball off to James Justin on the edge of the penalty area. Looking to pick out the top corner with his left foot, the versatile defender curled agonisingly beyond the upright. Then, Raya tipped an arrowed Ao Tanaka drive over the crossbar.
There was nothing the Arsenal stopper could do to prevent United taking the lead, however. Gudmundsson did brilliantly marauding down the left and slid an enticing delivery across the face of goal.
Justin arrived at the back post and fired an effort that proved too powerful for the retreating Gabriel to clear on the line and found the back of the net!
One very quickly became two from the restart when Farke’s men wrestled back possession and released Bogle on the right flank. His low cross proved just too strong for both Calvert-Lewin and Okafor at full-stretch.
The hosts levelled proceedings just after the hour mark when defender Riccardo Calafiori was well placed to bundle home from close range.
The Italian had an opportunity to complete the turnaround within minutes of his first, lashing a wayward shot wide of the post from distance. The respite was only temporary though and substitute Bruno Guimarães put the Gunners ahead with a precise finish into the bottom corner.
Keen to respond, the boss turned to his bench and introduced Harry Wilson and Brenden Aaronson into the action, replacing Tanaka and Okafor respectively. Lukas Nmecha was also brought on as the Whites searched for an equaliser, before Jaka Bijol and Jean-Mattéo Bahoya joined the fray in the final minutes.
Nmecha was the target when Calvert-Lewin fired in a low cross, but neither he nor fellow substitute Aaronson could get on the ball to fashion a shooting chance. And though Leeds were on the front foot in the final minute of time added on, it was Arsenal with the final opportunity - Saka sprinting through all alone only to shoot wide with the last kick of the game.
FULL TIME: Arsenal 2-1 Leeds United
