Key events
Mikel Arteta: “We had an incredible response”
“Before the game we talked about two things,” says Arsenal’s manager in a chat with TNT Sports. “One: the challenge ahead because Leeds had not lost in the Premier League and it was going to be really tough. And second: to restore our identity and be ourselves again, regardless of the context of the match. We weren’t pleased against Brighton and today was an opportunity to put that right. We certainly reacted in the manner we expected.”
On Arsenal’s game-changing equaliser: “When you play 12:30 at home and you go 1-0 down, you have to restore a lot of things. The energy is one of them. We had an incredible response. You could sense the crowd, the energy changed immediately. The finishers come in and made a huge difference to help us win the game.”
Arsenal: The Gunners host French side Lille in the Champions League on Tuesday night before travelling to the City Ground to play Nottingham Forest next Sunday.
Leeds United: Following their first Premier League defeat of the season, Daniel Farke’s side have more than a week to dust themselves down before hosting Manchester United in what ought to be a spicy encounter at Elland Road next Sunday.
ShareBruno Guimaraes: “It feels unbelievable to score”
“It feels unbelievable,” says the Brazilian, in an interview with TNT Sports. “I felt in the last game against Brighton we were not at the level. Today the mentality was bouncing back. This is my first official game at home. It feels unbelievable to score and it’s an important goal, three important points. It was a great finish and I am very happy.”
Upon being asked if he feels he has a point to prove to Mikel Arteta he says. “I want to give him a little headache but I have been proving myself in the Premier League for the past five years. This is a new challenge for me and its always important to play. The most important thing for Bruno is to go to the pitch and play the best football, I am very happy with that today.”
ShareArsenal 2-1 Leeds United
Premier League match report: Arsenal were not great against Leeds but showed impressive resilience to come back from a goal down, defeat strong opponents and reset their form after a lengthy international break. Paul MacInnes reports from the Emirates Stadium …
Saturday clockwatch: Sarah Rendall is here to bring you news of all the goals as they go in and any other major talking points from today’s four three o’clock kick-offs …
ShareFull time: Arsenal 2-1 Leeds United
Peep! Peep! Peeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep! A terrific game of football draws to a close at the Emirates Stadium, where Arsenal had to dig extremely deep to come from behind and see off a mightily impressive Leeds side.
James Justin opened the scoring for the visitors with a tidy finish on 55 minutes and their lead was no more than they deserved after an excellent but fruitless first half. Arsenal equalised through Riccardo Calafiori seven minutes later and from that point on it was all one-way traffic.
Arsenal’s winner was a wonderful team goal in which Bruno Guimaraes played the starring role, beginning the move before ending it with a wonderful low drive. Arsenal were made to work extremely hard for their win by a Leeds side who can go home with their heads held high.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta and match winning goalscorer Bruno Guimaraes celebrate after the final whistle. Photograph: Peter Cziborra/Action Images/ReutersShare
Updated at 09.35 EDT
90+5 min: Gyokeres plays Saka in behind the Leeds defence and he’s clear on goal with only Trafford to beat. The Leeds goalkeeper does enough to force the Arsenal winger to shoot wide. It’s the final kick of the game and the referee blows for full time.
Arsenal’s Viktor Gyokeres and Leeds United goalkeeper James Trafford battle for the ball. Photograph: John Walton/PAShare
Updated at 09.27 EDT
90+5 min: Gudmondsson sends a cross into the Arsenal box from the left. Gabriel heads it clear.
90+4 min: Leeds throw-in and Ethan Ampadu trebuchets the ball into the Arsenal penalty area. It’s headed clear.
90+2 min: With Trafford stranded in no-man’s land after a rush of blood to the head, Viktor Gyokeres passes up at least one opportunity to score into an empty goal from distance while apparently trying to walk the ball into the net from 30 yards out. What are you doing?!
90+1 min: We’re into five minutes of added time. Can Leeds snatch the point they almost certainly deserve from this match?
90 min: Arsenal substitution: Mikel Merino on for Odegaard, who’s been instrumental in helping Arsenal to restore parity and get what looks like being their winner.
89 min: A Dominic Calvert-Lewin cross into the box ricochets off Jurrien Timber but doesn’t quite break for Aaronson.
87 min: Since Arsenal equalised, Leeds seem to have run out of both energy and ideas. They’d played superbly for the opening 65 minutes but Arsenal have shown great strength in the face of extreme adversity.
85 min: Leeds double-substitution: Jean Matteo Bahoya and Jaka Bijol on or Bogle and Elvedi.
82 min: Jurrien Timber swings a cross to the far post, where Declan Rice takes it down, sells Jayden Bogle a dummy and drills the ball into the six-yard box. It’s blocked by Muharemovic but only on to the shins of Odegaard. Somehow, he fails to score and a shot he didn’t know much about is saved by Trafford. That’s a real let-off for Leeds after a wonderful soft-shoe shuffle in tight space from Rice. Who knew he had that in his locker?
Declan Rice sticks the ball into the danger area … Photograph: Hannah McKay/ReutersMartin Odegaard is denied by Leeds’ keeper James Trafford. Photograph: Hannah McKay/ReutersShare
Updated at 09.20 EDT
81 min: Arsenal substitution: Piero Hincapie on for Riccardo Calafiori.
80 min: Leeds substitution: Farke sends on Lukas Nmecha for James Justin and his side switches from a back five to a 4-4-2.
78 min: Declan Rice heads a free-kick into the Arsenal box away, then leaps to head the return ball clear. Arsenal attempt to break upfield but James Justin takes a yellow card for his team by dragging Bruno back.
76 min: Leeds double-substitution from a couple of minutes ago: Harry Wilson and Brenden Aaronson on for Tanaka and Okafor, who have both been terrific.
75 min: Arsenal surge forward in numbers with Saka on the ball. Despite the support, he goes it alone and shoots over the bar.
72 min: Bruno started and finished that goal from a quickly taken free-kick. The ball was pinged down the left, zipping from Saka inside to Odegaard and on to Rice, who sent it into the path of the goalscorer with an audacious flick of his heel.
ShareGOAL! Arsenal 2-1 Leeds United (Guimaraes 70)
Arsenal lead! It’s a lovely team move involving – among others – Saka, Odegaard and Rice in the build-up before Bruno Guimaraes smashed a low shot into the bottom corner from the edge of the penalty area.
Arsenal’s Bruno Guimarães fires off a shot … Photograph: Peter Cziborra/Action Images/ReutersWhich Leeds keeper James Trafford is unable to stop. Photograph: Hannah McKay/ReutersGuimarães celebrates with the Gooners. Photograph: Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty ImagesThen gestures whilst listening to their adulation. Photograph: John Walton/PAShare
Updated at 09.17 EDT
67 min: Arsenal have momentarily seized control of the game since equalising and ringing the changes. The ball breaks to Calafiori on the edge of the area when a cross is blocked his way by Calvert-Lewin. The Italian’s shot is wild and he fails to get near the target.
64 min: Arsenal triple-substitution: Jurrien Timber, Bruno Guimaraes and Viktor Gyokeres on for White, Lewis-Skelly and Havertz.
ShareGOAL! Arsenal 1-1 Leeds United (Calafiori 62)
Arsenal equalise! A Madueke cross from the left to the far post is headed back into the Leeds penalty area from the byline by Ben White. In acres of space, Calafiori leaps like a Victorian scullery maid who’s just seen a mouse and sends a dainty volley past Trafford. The Leeds goalkeeper got a hand to it but couldn’t keep the shot out.
Arsenal’s Riccardo Calafiori sends a volley goalwards … Photograph: Hannah McKay/ReutersWhich finds the back of the net. Photograph: Hannah McKay/ReutersCalafiori celebrates. Photograph: Vince Mignott/EPAShare
Updated at 09.39 EDT
61 min: Leeds play out from the back and through the middle of Arsenal as Martin Odegaard gesticulates like a traffic policeman on amphetamines at rush hour as he tries to get assorted Arsenal teammates to close their opposite numbers down.
59 min: Arsenal win a free-kick in a promising position but Martin Odegaard sends his delivery straight into the gloves of James Trafford.
58 min: Jayden Bogle curls a wonderful low cross through the Arsenal penalty area after brilliant hold-up play from Dominic Calvert-Lewin. Noah Okafor stretches every sinew but can’t quite get a toe on the ball. It’s put out for a corner, from which nothing comes.
ShareGOAL! Arsenal 0-1 Leeds United (Justin 55)
Leeds are in front! It’s been coming and it’s thoroughly deserved. James Justin connects with a Gudmondsson pull-back from the byline that Raya tried to intercept but missed. He sends the ball fizzing past a couple of defenders and into the back of the net from about 15 yards out.
Leeds United’s James Justin fires home to put the visitors ahead. Photograph: Peter Cziborra/Action Images/ReutersJustin celebrates with Jayden Bogle, Noah Okafor and Gabriel Gudmundsson. Photograph: Peter Cziborra/Action Images/ReutersJoy for the Leeds fans, dejection for Arsenal’s Declan Rice (centre) and Kai Havertz (right). Photograph: Hannah McKay/ReutersShare
Updated at 08.56 EDT
53 min: James Justin sends a curled shot from distance whistling narrowly wide of the far post. Soon afterwards, David Raya is forced to tip an Ao Tanaka shot over the bar after a heavy touch from Declan Rice gifted a shooting opportunity to the Japan international. I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say Arsenal are on the ropes here.
51 min: Everything good about Arsenal today is coming through Noni Madueke and on this occasion his pull-back from the left is met by Martin Odegaard. The Arsenal captain’s shot is weak and comfortably saved by by Trafford.
50 min: Quite apart from the chances they’ve created, Leeds deserve a lot of praise for their defensive fortitude and stoutness. They are incredibly well organised and disciplined out of possession and are smothering Arsenal any time they try to get forward.
48 min: Madueke overhits a cross from the left but Saka is able to backpedal and try to nod the ball across the face of goal. He’s leaning back and get much power on his header and Trafford allows it to drop wide of the near post.
47 min: Saka plays a weighted pass to the byline for Ben White to chase. It’s overhit and the ball runs ourt of play again.
46 min: Muharemovic shields the ball well under pressure from Saka. It runs safely out play for a Leeds goal-kick.
ShareSecond half: Arsenal 0-0 Leeds United
46 min: Play resumes with Arsenal on the ball and no changes in personnel on either side.
An email: “Re: Mark Kerry’s pre-match concerns about Arsenal’s lack of a natural goalscorer,” writes Justin Kavanagh. “Fear not, Mark, I’m sure there’ll be a big, prolific Viking available to sign in the next transfer window.”
ShareHalf-time: Arsenal 0-0 Leeds United
It’s all square at the break and while Arsenal have dominated possession, Leeds have had by far the better chances. Noah Okafor went close from distance, before Jayden Bogle accidentally blocked an Anton Stach volley from close range.
Ethan Ampadu was next to try his luck with an opportunistic header from distance, only to be foiled by Raya, who also needed all his guile to keep out a Gudmundsson shot from a tight angle just before the break.
In stark contrast, decent Arsenal chances have been at a premium, the pick of them falling to Kai Havertz on the back of industrious work from Noni Madueke.
Updated at 08.34 EDT
45+2 min: Arsenal have a loud penalty appeal turned down when a Saka run to try to press James Trafford is blocked by Muharemovic. It’s half-time.
44 min: A Leeds cross from the right evades the wrestling bout between Gabriel and Dominic Calvert-Lewin on the edge of the six-yard box and drops to Gudmondsson at the far post. He smashes the ball from a tight angle, forcing a superb save out of David Raya. Leeds are giving Arsenal plenty to think about in this first half. They’ve been outstanding.
Updated at 08.17 EDT
43 min: Tanaka robs Rice as the Arsenal midfielder tried to rampage forward into Leeds territory.
Leeds United’s Ao Tanaka (left) tackles Arsenal’s Declan Rice. Photograph: Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty ImagesShare
Updated at 08.22 EDT
42 min: Madueke cuts inside from the left again and gets the ball on to his right foot before pinging a little cross to Havertz. It’s a tall order and the German heads high over the bar.
40 min: Stach and Bogle get their wires crossed again, the latter pulling up and failing to make the run expected of him after playing a give-and-go with the former. Bogle gave but didn’t go, prompting Stach to throw his arms in the air in frustration.
38 min: Now Ethan Ampadu has his name taken for a foul on Ben White. Both Leeds central midfielders have been cautioned, as has their head coach, Daniel Farke. He didn’t foul anyone but I beleive he might have hurt the fourth official’s feelings.
37 min: Ao Tanaka is booked for a foul on Myles Lewis-Skelly.
34 min: Anton Stach takes a free-kick from deep, which Raya comes to punch clear. Ethan Ampadu sends a looping header goalwards and Raya has to be on his toes to get back to catch the ball before slamming on the brakes in order to avoid carrying it over his own line.
Disaster averted, Raya promptly pings a long diagonal to Madueke, who drills a low cross into the Leeds penalty area that Saka is unable to connect with under pressure from Stach.
Updated at 08.08 EDT
32 min: Arsenal continue to dominate possessioon against a Leeds United side who have had the three best chances of the opening half-hour. Justin remains pitchside, waiting in frustration to be ushered back on after receiving treatment. He eventually gets the signal from referee Paul Tierney.
31 min: Justin has his nostrils plugged by the medics and play resumes.