Arsenal maintained their one hundred pc begin to the brand new Premier League season as they hammered Leeds United 4-0 in a sport that noticed Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard endure accidents.
The Gunners, who presented new signing Eberechi Eze to the fans at Emirates Stadium forward of kick-off, had been unconvincing of their 1-0 win at Manchester United final week.
It took them some time to get going of their first residence sport of the brand new season. Nevertheless, they had been in cruise management after Jurrien Timber gave them a Thirty fourth-minute lead, which was doubled by Saka on the stroke of half-time after captain Odegaard was compelled off.
Viktor Gyokeres marked his residence debut with a objective to place the sport past doubt earlier than Saka then pulled up and got here off in worrying scenes for Arsenal followers forward of subsequent week’s journey to Anfield to face reigning champions Liverpool.
However Timber supplied Arsenal with extra cause to have a good time when he doubled his tally, with Gyokeres offering the crowning glory from the penalty spot in stoppage time as Leeds fell again right down to earth with a bump following the excessive of their 1-0 win over Everton on Monday.
Arsenal v Leeds United
Arsenal discovered alternatives exhausting to return by within the early going, Odegaard firing narrowly broad earlier than Pascal Struijk noticed a header properly saved by David Raya on the different finish.
However Timber broke the impasse in a vogue typical of Arsenal underneath Mikel Arteta in current seasons, the defender changing Declan Rice’s positive supply from a nook with a wonderful header.
Odegaard’s two hundredth look for the membership ended on a bitter notice thereafter. The Norwegian had fallen awkwardly in a problem with Anton Stach early within the first half and twice acquired remedy earlier than admitting defeat after the third go to from the medical workers.
He was changed by Ethan Nwaneri, with Saka taking the armband after which making it 2-0 when he lashed into the top-left nook having been performed down the best channel by Timber.
Gyokeres successfully ended the sport as contest when he minimize in from the left and powered past a helpless Lucas Perri and into the bottom-right nook, but there was extra harm concern for Arsenal after Saka pulled up on the finish of a dash and instantly signalled that he wanted to be faraway from the motion.
Saka’s exit didn’t gradual the Arsenal momentum, nevertheless, and the spectacular Timber added gloss to the scoreline by prodding residence within the 56th minute after one other nook induced chaos within the Leeds field.
Gyokeres secured a brace of his personal with nearly the ultimate kick of the sport from 12 yards after 15-year-old Max Dowman was adjudged to have been fouled by Stach.
Arsenal will now wait to be taught the severity of the accidents to Saka and Odegaard, which might make the arrival of Eze all of the extra essential forward of a mouthwatering encounter with Liverpool.
