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Arsenal saw off Leeds United 2-1 in the Premier League on Sunday, May 8. The win saw them go four points clear of fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur.
The Gunners defeated West Ham 2-1 in their last game in the league. They entered this contest knowing a win would send them comfortably clear of Tottenham. Leeds, on the other hand, lost 4-0 to Manchester City last time out. They flirted with danger as they were marginally outside the drop zone prior to kick-off.
Arsenal began the game in fine form, attacking from the very first minute. Eddie Nketiah was lively in the press and managed to snatch the ball off Illan Meslier in the Leeds goal. He scored from the resultant possession to make it 1-0. Nketiah doubled his tally a few minutes later after he converted following an assist from Gabriel Martinelli to make it 2-0 in the tenth minute.
Luke Ayling had a moment of madness as his irresponsible actions all but threw away the game for Leeds United. He made a dangerous two-footed lunge on Martinelli and was initially shown a yellow card. However, upon VAR review, he was given his marching orders, putting the visitors' bid for survival in jeopardy.
Arsenal continued to dominate for the rest of the period as they put Leeds United completely on the back foot. They went into the break with a comfortable 2-0 lead.
The Gunners' movement and intensity increased as they came out for the second half. They continued to press high up the pitch and attempted to score a third goal to put the result beyond doubt.
Mikel Arteta brought on Nicolas Pepe and Emile Smith Rowe to help his side create better chances with fresh legs. Jesse Marsch, too, made changes to his side to alter the dynamic. He brought on Rodrigo for Raphinha, who caused a disciplinary scare following his booking.
Leeds United got on the scoresheet with their first shot of the game. Junior Firpo put a cross into the box, which Diego Llorente promptly nodded into the net. Despite being down to 10 men, the visitors did a remarkable job of limiting Arsenal's threat. Granit Xhaka and Mohamed Elneny looked solid in midfield.
Despite their heroic efforts, Leeds could not prevent Arsenal from walking away with all three points as the game ended 2-1.
That said, let's take a look at Arsenal's player ratings from the game.
Arsenal Player Ratings
Aaron Ramsdale - 6/10
Ramsdale looked decent in Arsenal's goal. However, he conceded from a set-piece, which was Leeds' first shot of the game.
Cedric - 7/10
Cedric looked lively as made runs up and down the field. He made five tackles and won seven of his 12 duels. He also played three crosses and six accurate long balls.
Rob Holding - 6.5/10
Holding made a decent start to the game. He made two clearances and one interception as Arsenal held on to win.
Gabriel Magalhaes - 6.5/10
Gabriel put in an average performance tonight. He won three of his four duels. He had a shot on target.
The Brazilian was booked for a foul in the first half.
Takehiro Tomiyasu - 7.5/10
Tomiyasu was deployed to the left-back spot in a bid to add solidity and experience to the position. He did extremely well to adapt and keep Raphinha quiet.
He had two tackles, clearances, interceptions and crosses each, while picking up a yellow card just after the hour mark.
Mohamed Elneny - 6.5/10
Elneny distributed the ball well, playing three pin-point long balls. He also won three of his seven duels. He passed the ball with 98% accuracy.
Granit Xhaka - 7.5/10
Xhaka looked composed in the Gunners' midfield. He played seven long balls with a 100% accuracy. He also won three of his six duels and attempted a shot on target.
Martin Odegaard - 8/10
The Norwegian controlled the game for Arsenal from the start. He had two shots on target and one off target. Odegaard won five of his nine duels in what was a midfield masterclass.
Bukayo Saka - 7/10
Saka was at his energetic best as he drove down the right wing several times. He won eight of his 14 ground duels. He also completed three successful dribbles and had one shot on target.
Gabriel Martinelli - 7.5/10
Martinelli made a lively start and provided the assist for his side's second goal. He completed three dribbles and had two shots on target.
Eddie Nketiah - 8.5/10
His liveliness as the Gunners' frontman paid off as Nketiah scored a brace in the first 10 minutes. He did well to press Leeds' backline and made some great runs into space. He was taken off in second-half stoppage time.
Substitutes
Nicolas Pepe - 6/10
Pepe came on in the second half but failed to make a lasting impact on the game.
Emile Smith Rowe - 6.5/10
Smith Rowe looked lively after coming on. He won the three duels he was involved in. He also played one accurate long ball.
Alexandre Lacazette - N/A
The Frenchman came on in second-half stoppage time and did not play enough minutes to warrant a rating.
