Arsenal took Leeds apart as they secured an emphatic 5-0 win that sent them to the top of the Premier League table but a double injury blow, that saw both Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka withdrawn, will have Mikel Arteta worried with Liverpool on the horizon.
After wasting a couple of early chances, with Viktor Gyokeres guilty of a particularly glaring miss, the Gunners were given a scare as Pascal Struijk saw a powerful header from a corner palmed over the bar by an alert David Raya. With the hosts struggling to create many clearcut opportunities as Leeds dug in, it was a trusty set-piece that finally did the trick as Declan Rice launched into the box for Timber to divert into the net. Having broke the deadlock, Arsenal would be two up before the break - Saka, who was having an uncharacteristically quiet half, bursting into the box in stoppage time and smashing an effort past Lucas Perri.
The Gunners' third goal brought a smile to Eberechi Eze's face, with the £60 million signing who was presented to the crowd before kick-off gleefully applauding as Gyokeres got off the mark. The Swede, who was harshly criticised after an ineffective debut at Old Trafford, received a ball in the channel and cut inside before sliding past Perri and wheeling away to perform his trademark mask celebration.
The buzz created by the goal quickly turned to anxiety around the Emirates, however, as an apparent hamstring injury saw Saka leave the pitch after 53 minutes, with Odegaard having already gone off due to a shoulder issue. Despite those set-backs, the dominant hosts would still kick on and add to their goal tally as Timber poked home a scrappy fourth and then Max Dowman, making his Arsenal debut off the bench at just 15 years old, won a penalty that was smashed into the net by Gyokeres for his second of the night.
GOAL rates Arsenal's players from Emirates Stadium...
