Arsenal came from behind to beat Leeds United at the Emirates on Saturday, with a strong second-half display.
James Justin gave Leeds the lead early in the second half, with a well-taken finish after Gabriel Gudmundsson‘s cross. The lead didn’t last too long though as Riccardo Calafiori equalised having been left unmarked in the Leeds box.
Arsenal’s comeback was complete midway through the second half, aided by their changes. Bruno Guimaraes came off the bench to finish a brilliant team goal in a move he started with a nutmeg in the middle of the pitch.
It moved Arsenal level on points with league leaders Manchester City, only behind on goal difference.
Arsenal vs Leeds analysis:
The importance of David Raya
Where would this Arsenal team be without David Raya? Although he cannot buy a start for his national team, the Spaniard is one of the best goalkeepers in the world. And his importance to Arsenal is evident in more ways than one.
Raya had to make four saves at the Emirates, some stopping certain goals. He was on hand to deny Jayden Bogle midway through the first half, after Ao Tanaka‘s cross had evaded the Arsenal defence. Raya then produced another good save at his near post against Gabriel Gudmundsson just before half-time. Perhaps the best was a fingertip save to deny Tanaka early in the first half, just diverting the ball over the bar.
But Raya is also key to Arsenal’s passing game. He is often the first step in their attack, either by sending long balls to the attackers, or dictating play like a midfielder. There were moments in the first half where the Spaniard was on the ball in the middle of his own half, given time to wait for his teammates to move around. And he launched Arsenal’s best counter-attack of the first half, with an inch-perfect pass to Noni Madueke.
Raya isn’t perfect, though. And that adds to his importance in Arsenal’s matches, as he can put himself in danger. Before that pass to Madueke, Raya had to save an Arsenal goal that would have been his own doing. The Spaniard came almost to the edge of his box to try to claim a free-kick, only getting a weak punch on the ball. It left the goal open for a looping header, which Raya did manage to get back to catch, just stopping short of carrying the ball over the line. Raya could also be looked at for Leeds’ goal, moving out of position to try to save a low cross, which he missed — leaving the net open.
Leeds’ almost-perfect plan
Leeds hadn’t beaten Arsenal away in the league since 2003. Some teams will let a streak like that get into their heads, losing the game before it’s even kicked off. Not Leeds. From the start, Daniel Farke‘s side looked as though they knew they could get something from Arsenal. The German’s tactics certainly helped, even if Leeds did eventually lose.
There was a clear gameplan from the Yorkshire side, setting up in their 3-4-2-1. It was more of a 5-4-1 when defending, as Leeds looked to soak up the Arsenal pressure. They created a congested environment in the middle of the pitch, suffocating Martin Odegaard in the first half. Forcing Arsenal out wide, Leeds’ wing-backs did well to deal with the danger, stopping a lot of potential balls into the box.
When Leeds won the ball back, they managed to keep hold of it too. Smart passes were made to retain possession, rather than just kicking the ball long, allowing Arsenal to regain control. But when Leeds did have to go long, they were able to, thanks to Dominic Calvert-Lewin. The Englishman put in an excellent performance for a centre-forward that was only missing a goal involvement to be perfect. Calvert-Lewin won five aerial duels alongside his three touches in the opposition box, giving Gabriel and Ezri Konsa a tough afternoon.
Leeds weren’t just reliant on Calvert-Lewin for their goal threat either. Defenders James Justin and Gabriel Gudmundsson led Leeds for shots in the game, with three and two, respectively. Of course, they combined for Leeds’ opener too. Anton Stach joined Gudmundsson on two shots, with five different players having an effort on target.
The one thing missing for Leeds was the quality of champions.
Arsenal’s gamechangers
With Arsenal still trailing on the hour mark, Mikel Arteta looked to his bench. Bruno Guimaraes, Jurrien Timber and Viktor Gyokeres were all ready to come on, with Myles Lewis-Skelly, Ben White and Kai Havertz set to go off. Even after Arsenal equalised, set up by White, Arteta didn’t change his plan — which managers have been known to do in the past.
Despite the goal, Arteta knew that his initial setup hadn’t worked. The change did, however. Within seven minutes of coming on, Arsenal had taken the lead thanks to Guimaraes. It was a move the Brazilian started with a nutmeg in the middle of the pitch, eventually getting to the edge of the area to coolly finish after Declan Rice‘s backheel.
Despite playing less than 30 minutes, Guimaraes managed to get 30 touches of the ball, completing 20 of his 21 passes. Nine of those attempts were in the final third, as the Brazilian looked to keep Leeds under pressure. Guimaraes also completed two passes into the penalty area and three final third entries.
But he wasn’t just good on the ball. Guimaraes won possession three times in the middle third, more than any Arsenal player managed throughout the game. He also won four duels, with only three Arsenal players winning more. And they all started the match. This was the game-changing performance Arsenal needed, and it can’t be long before Guimaraes gets his second league start for the Gunners.