A battling win at Elland Road extended Arsenal’s lead at the top of the table and it is increasingly likely that Mikel Arteta’s side will go into the winter break as the Premier League front-runners.
Manchester City’s defeat by Liverpool ensured Arsenal have a four-point cushion over the champions with four League games to play before the Premier League breaks for the World Cup. Arteta’s side could even lose at Chelsea next month and still resume at the summit on Boxing Day.
The head coach has naturally resisted talk of a title race, but going into the six-week hiatus as League leaders would be a significant statement. It would be harder to play down a title challenge if Arsenal ‘win’ the first half of the campaign, and doing so would boost confidence and energise the squad when the majority return from Qatar in late December.
Leading the way would also come with added pressure, and the next question for Arteta’s side is whether they can cope with soaring expectations and the sense that they are now a prized scalp.
Aaron Ramsdale, the outstanding player yesterday, dismissed the suggestion that Arsenal are feeling the pressure of leading the way.
“No, we go into every game with a big smile on our faces, trying to win,” said the goalkeeper. “It’s a strange feeling that in seven games the League will stop. We’ve almost got a benchmark, get as many points as we can until that point and then we evaluate with the group throughout winter and see where we are. We’re just loving going into games, because we know that at our best, and now at our worst, we can win.”
As Ramsdale acknowledged, the win here, sealed with a first-half strike by Bukayo Saka, added another string to Arsenal’s bow: the ability to win ugly.
There has long been a sense, which predates Arteta, that Arsenal can be bullied and intimidated, but they came through a series of tests in Yorkshire.
A 40-minute delay at the start of the match due to a power cut was unsettling, and Arsenal survived a second-half barrage from the hosts, who were also sharper before the interval. In the end, the manner of this victory should only add to the sense that this Arsenal team is equipped to seriously challenge.
Winning sides also need luck, and the Gunners had their fair share of fortune, notably Patrick Bamford’s dreadful penalty which he sent skidding wide of the upright after William Saliba had been penalised for handball.
Even Saka’s goal was a gift, as Rodrigo’s attempt at a crossfield pass was easily intercepted by the winger, who exchanged touches with Martin Odegaard and fired into the roof of the net.
Arsenal will be delighted with their position of control, but another big win means there is no longer any sense that they are flying under the radar
The introduction of Bamford at the interval gave Leeds a focal point for their fast-paced attacks, and the striker was soon making Saliba jittery. Ramsdale twice bailed out the centre-half with smart saves from Bamford, and only a series of last-ditch tackles and blocks prevented him from being further tested.
“It was really enjoyable,” said Ramsdale. “It’s good to have that feeling that you’re getting one up on him [Bamford] at the time. He could’ve scored that penalty and turned things in his favour, it’s a great little battle we’ve got, but at the end of the day it wasn’t just me. We had some big blocks and moments from our defenders, midfielders and attackers.”
There was even an element of fortune for Arsenal to a late flashpoint when Gabriel was shown a red card and Leeds awarded a penalty after the defender was judged to have kicked out at Bamford.
On the VAR’s advice, referee Chris Kavanagh consulted his monitor and replays showed Bamford shoved Gabriel to the ground before the Brazilian’s leg appeared to catch him. The penalty was overruled and Gabriel’s card downgraded to a yellow, but if Kavanagh felt he had deliberately retaliated, there were grounds to stick with a sending-off. It was one of many breaks for Arsenal, but top sides make their own luck.
It is a shame this week’s clash with City was postponed to make way for Arsenal’s rearranged Europa League game against PSV Eindhoven, as it would have provided a fascinating measure of their progress and even seen the gap at the top widened.
As it is, Arsenal will be delighted with their position of control, but another big win means there is no longer any sense that they are flying under the radar.
