Arsenal were able to claim a victory over Leeds United in a crucial Premier League clash at the Emirates Stadium. The game got off to a perfect start for the Gunners who were in front inside just six minutes after Eddie Nketiah pounced on Illan Meslier to poach home an opener.
Nketiah then doubled Arsenal's lead a few minutes later after some good work down the left wing from Gabriel Martinelli to find him in the middle. Then it got even better for Mikel Arteta's men who found themselves a man up as well as two goals up when VAR intervened to ensure Luke Ayling was dismissed for a senseless tackle on Martinelli.
Diego Llorente was then able to pull one back for Leeds in the second as the Gunners conceded a corner for the first time this season, which set up a tense finish, but ultimately Arteta's side held on for the three points. The win means that Arsenal now have a four point lead over Tottenham in the race for the top four going into Thursday night's crucial North London derby at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Here football.london takes a look back at some of the moments you may have missed from the game.
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No signal for Nketiah
It was a great afternoon for Eddie Nketiah who now has more Premier League goals in open play than Alexandre Lacazette this season despite starting just five matches. The England Under-21 forward got the ball rolling with a proper poacher's finish after pressing Leeds' Illan Meslier into a mistake. Cue the celebrations, right?
Well not exactly... Nketiah was up against his former club in Leeds United where he spent half a season on loan two years ago, before being recalled by Mikel Arteta just weeks after the Spaniard was appointed Arsenal manager.
He made a point of not celebrating either of his goals meaning that we didn't get to see his trademark phone call celebration. The Hale Ender couldn't stop a smile from creeping across his face though as he fired Arsenal closer to the top four.
Arteta fumes with Odegaard
Mikel Arteta is clearly a man with very high standards. The Spaniard has been crucial in ensuring a cultural turnaround at the Emirates, and has turned Arsenal from being a team bottom of the league after three games to one that is on course to finish top four, but has generally passed up any opportunity to accept any praise, insisting his side "haven't done anything yet".
This attitude was on full display during a brief counter attack Leeds had late in the first half. Arsenal were two goals and a man up but Arteta was in no mood to let anything slip.
Noticing that Martin Odegaard wasn't chasing back with the intensity he wanted the Spaniard furiously waved his fist at the Norwegian demand he sprint instead of job. Odegaard obliged and won the ball back to protect the Gunners from any chance of an unlikely Leeds comeback.
Xhaka gets angry with Klich
Despite this being a pretty comfortable win for Arsenal, it was quite a scrappy affair. Leeds appeared to lose their heads early on as Luke Ayling's ridiculous red card challenge on Gabriel Martinelli would attest.
Gabriel also got himself unnecessarily booked for a late tackle on the halfway line, but the Brazilian was to turn peacemaker not long after. Dribbling along in the midfield Granit Xhaka was caught late by Mateusz Klich, prompting an angry reaction from the Swiss midfielder.
He threw an arm out that luckily didn't connect to cause any potential of a red card, and as the Polish Leeds' midfielder began to walk away Xhaka could be seen yelling "Klich, Klich" while being restrained by Gabriel. Leeds were scrappy throughout, but Arsenal did well to largely keep their heads in the second half.
