Alan Shearer blown away by new-look Arsenal midfield pairing in Leeds comeback

Arsenal secured a crucial comeback victory over Leeds on Saturday to bounce back from a disappointing run of form. James Justin opened the scoring for Daniel Farke's side in the 55th minute, putting the home side in a difficult position. Arteta responded swiftly by making immediate substitutions to alter the flow of the match. The introduction of Guimaraes in place of Myles Lewis-Skelly proved decisive as Arsenal ultimately fought back to claim all three points.

Shearer singled out Arsenal's new-look central midfield pairing of Rice and Guimaraes for their vital role in turning the match around. Guimaraes, a summer signing from Newcastle United, linked up brilliantly with Rice to score the winning goal and finish off a flowing attacking move.

"They moved the ball a lot better in the second half," Shearer explained, as quoted by Metro"I thought it was all a bit slow and passive and a bit lethargic in the first half with too many sideways passes - not enough penetration. Once Bruno came on and moved it a bit better, he scored a great goal. Declan Rice, I thought, was very good in the second half."

The hard-fought victory restored a sense of calm for Arsenal following a shock 3-0 defeat against Brighton prior to the international break. Shearer pointed out that the team initially looked lethargic and passive in the first half against Leeds, relying on too many sideways passes without enough penetration. However, the former striker quickly dismissed any lingering worries about Arteta's squad.

"I’m not concerned over Arsenal’s recent performances," Shearer added. "I think especially early games after an international break, everyone’s just got back probably Wednesday or Thursday. They still haven’t had time to recover.

"I just think it was a hugely important win. It didn’t matter how they did it after what happened at Brighton three weeks ago. They had to come back into it and get a win. And they’ve managed to do that here."

The important win elevates Arsenal to second place in the Premier League table with 15 points from their opening six matches. They currently sit behind league leaders Manchester City only on goal difference, although City have played one game fewer.

Arteta will now prepare his squad for a swift return to European competition in the coming days. Arsenal will take on Lille in the Champions League, before hitting the road to face Nottingham Forest in the Premier League next weekend.