Arsenal 2-1 Leeds United: result and report

Report

Arsenal got the home win they were expected to get, though they had to come from behind to do it. Leeds United led after 55 minutes, and Arsenal needed two goals in eight minutes to turn the game round.

How the game turned

The match stayed goalless until James Justin put Leeds United ahead on 55 minutes, from Gabriel Gudmundsson's assist.

Arsenal's reply was quick. Riccardo Calafiori equalised on 62 minutes from Ben White's pass. Then Bruno Guimarães, who started on the bench, scored the winner on 70 minutes after Declan Rice set him up. Leeds United kept their lead for only seven minutes, so the comeback came well before any late scramble.

Arsenal: the better chances

The comeback was earned rather than lucky, because Arsenal created far more. Their xG was almost three times Leeds United's. They had ten shots to seven, four big chances to two and eleven key passes to seven.

The real issue was finishing. Arsenal missed three of their four big chances, which explains why a side with that chance profile still found itself behind just after the hour.

Noni Madueke was named player of the match without a goal or an assist. While the scorers took the headlines, that suggests Arsenal's threat came from more than the players who finished the moves.

Leeds United: a lead they could not keep

Leeds United were not simply passengers, despite the gap in chances. Five of their seven shots were on target, and each goalkeeper made four saves. Leeds United also produced the most intense spell of pressure in the match, even though Arsenal held the higher pressure on average.

Still, one goal from that threat was a fair return. Leeds United created two big chances all game, and a lead built on that little was always at risk against a side creating as much as Arsenal did.