match report: arsenal 2 - 1 leeds utd
Sunday 8th May 2022 @ Emirates Stadium
By James Hull
A cool breeze wafts through the open window. Bird song lilts in the serenity of the pleasant day outside. However I'm in here watching a disasterclass from Leeds United in how not to approach a first-half of football at the home of Arsenal Football Club. Many times through this match I wondered if I ought to be outside doing something less horrific instead.
Approaching the last four games of the season, knowing Burnley lost the previous day and Everton to kick off simultaneously, Leeds need to start putting points on the board to climb out of the hole they are in. So what they don't need to do is gift a very easy goal to former temporary White Eddie Nketiah within the opening minutes. Ayling passes back to Meslier under pressure and while Eddie is bearing down, Illan shifts the ball with a touch to his left instead of clearing. The touch is too heavy, giving Nketiah a simple chance given his momentum. He slides in and the ball rolls into the net.
Grim, and worse is to come. Leeds cannot get out of their half, and Arsenal don't have to be particularly good to create chances. A second goal for Eddie comes on 10 minutes, this time not a mistake but a slick move. Again on the Arsenal left, Martinelli gets by Ayling on the goal line and pulls back to Nketiah standing all alone in the middle of the penalty area. He connects first time to take the ball past a despairing Meslier. 2-0 in ten minutes and no sign of attacking life from Leeds. At least Junior Firpo hadn't managed to pick up his customary yellow card yet.
Leeds cannot get out, Gelhardt making a rare starting appearance in place of Rodrigo but unable to make it stick with him. At the back, Koch is in for a still injured Cooper at left sided centre back and is far from convincing. The defining moment of the half comes on 30 minutes, when a hopeful diagonal ball following a foray upfield from Leeds is kept in play by Martinelli. Ayling who had been tracking back decides to steam in to put the ball out of play; going in two-footed at full pelt and taking out Martinelli who is just off the pitch. Bizarrely the ref gives a yellow card but VAR intervenes to show the man in the middle the gruesome details. Ayling is deservedly and stupidly sent off, Raphinha going bonkers at the ref (why is not entirely clear given the poor challenge) and gets a yellow for his efforts.
Sadly for Joffy he is sacrificed for Struijk to make up the numbers in defence, James reverting to his futile station at striker. The rest of the half is watched through fingers, or preferably not at all, but somehow it finishes 2-0 with Leeds not registering a shot on the Gunner's goal.
SECOND HALF
Lewis Bate makes an entrance after the interval for Klich, who had been booked in the first half. Most of this half is an exercise in damage limitation and for Arsenal, going through the motions given their thoughts are half on the North London Derby against Spurs on Thursday. Having said that, Martinelli in particular looks keen to get on the scoresheet and has a number of good chances.
The Leeds fans in the corner were game though, and cheered getting the first corner as if it was a goal on 66 minutes. Amazingly, they were soon cheering a real goal as Firpo flicked on the corner to the far post where Llorente was lurking unmarked to finish past the keeper. From out of nowhere, and with their first chance, Leeds are back in the game and Arsenal start to feel the jitters from not finishing off Leeds earlier.
A rare move from Leeds goes from back to front, with passes actually finding team-mates, unlike most recent matches. A significant chance doesn't materialise though, the last pass in the box not finding a Leeds player. Just before the 90 Leeds get a corner and Meslier is ushered forward. This nearly results in a second calamity when Arsenal clear and head towards the unguarded net; James making good use of his pace to mop up the danger. A free kick near the end also saw the Frenchman go up front, this time Rodrigo attempting to head over Ramsdale but he didn't get enough height.
The final whistle sees a narrow defeat which at one point looked to be inevitably a heavy pasting, so Marsch and his players can take that from the game. But Ayling's foolish lunge finishes the season for Bill at the most critical time, and the margins are now razor thin. Leeds need something from Chelsea on Wednesday and likely a win against Brighton. On current form, I cannot see us getting the points we need to stay up and sadly at least a season in the Championship beckons. Let's hope I'm wrong.
ARSENAL: Ramsdale (GK), Gabriel, Saka (Pepe 68’), Odegaard (C), Holding, Soares, Tomiyasu, Elneny, Nketiah (Lacazette 90’), Xhaka, Martinelli (Smith-Rowe 78’). Subs not used: Leno (GK), Tavares, Lokonga, Oulad M’hand, Swanson, Patino.
LEEDS UNITED: Meslier (GK), Ayling (C), Firpo, Koch, Raphinha (Rodrigo 60’), Llorente, James, Harrison, Phillips, Gelhardt (Struijk 29’), Klich (Bate 45’). Subs not used: Klaesson (GK), Hjelde, Cresswell, Greenwood, Shackleton, Gray.