Leeds United surprise factor delaying the inevitable - Graham Smyth's Verdict on Arsenal beating - YEP 2/4/23
The day at Arsenal began with a surprise but it couldn't end with one, Leeds United falling to a defeat whose inevitability was only ever on hold.
By Graham Smyth
A 4-1 scoreline told the tale of a quality deficit between
the two sides, chances going begging at one end and going in the net with
ruthless efficiency at the other. The Gunners, albeit frustrated by Leeds' plan
for the first 35 minutes, made few mistakes and punished ruthlessly those Leeds
were guilty of and eventually cantered to victory, taking another step towards
the Premier League title.
Mikel Arteta's side's eight-point gap at the top of the
table is one reason why Leeds should prepare for Tuesday night's clash against
relegation rivals Nottingham Forest with a relatively clear head. They must do
so. Elland Road, against Forest, is must-win territory. The Emirates is not
where Leeds find their fight this season and anything they could take from this
game was going to be a bonus, a highly surprising bonus. Arsenal are a superb
side, in imperious form, especially at home where Everton, Bournemouth and
Crystal Palace all conceded three or four times apiece in March.
That was chief in Gracia's thinking as he picked a team and
set up a formation to compete with Arteta and the Gunners. However thorough the
title-chasing manager was in his preparation and analysis, he could never have
predicted the line-up he would face.
Pascal Struijk over Liam Cooper in the absence of Max Wober
represented the least eyebrow raising decision, which said much about the
confusion sparked by Gracia's XI. Cooper's ability, or otherwise, to play three
90 minute games in the space of a week was likely behind that one. And Weston
McKennie dropping out was no huge shock, not when he had played through flu for
his country in midweek and then had to travel back. But Rasmus Kristensen
joining fellow right-back Luke Ayling in the line-up, Luis Sinisterra starting
despite not being in his 'best condition' and Patrick Bamford sitting on the
bench were all big, unexpected calls.
Even though it transpired that Gracia had a very specific
plan in mind, one that placed Kristensen – a player who has struggled with
passing all season but brings mobility – in the centre of midfield and sought
to pack the middle, while using the pace of Sinisterra, Crysencio Summerville
and Brenden Aaronson up top, it was clearly a team picked with at least half an
eye on Forest.
If Arsenal paid any attention to Leeds' warm-up, which has
changed under the new regime to include attacking patterns of play, then they
will have known by 3pm where Kristensen would be playing and how the Whites
would be setting up. And yet they could still have gone behind inside 10
seconds, Kristensen's snapshot testing Aaron Ramsdale after Leeds turned their
first high ball forward into a fairly contested scrap in the final third.
Although Arsenal came close themselves with Gabriel Jesus'
off-target header, that chance took 12 minutes to arrive.
Leeds had set out to make it ugly and largely succeeded for
35 minutes. They packed central areas, forcing Arsenal wide and then pushing
them back inside into the traffic. They rarely challenged for aerial balls in
the Arsenal half, instead waiting to pounce on the second ball with numbers.
When the moment permitted they were patient in possession
and after posing a little threat on the break, put together their best spell
with some sustained possession. A Summerville one-two with Roca led to a low
shot that was saved. Belief grew. Jack Harrison brought another stop from
Ramsdale. The plan was working.
Then came the sucker punch, Kristensen first undone by Jesus
before Ayling was too, the full-back going to ground and catching the forward's
knee with his boot. It wasn't enough contact to send him to ground but it was
just enough to prevent VAR from changing referee Darren England's mind. Jesus
rolled the spot-kick down the middle, Arsenal were 1-0 up and Leeds were left
to ask what now?
The sight of Meslier, out of his area to make an
unconvincing clearance straight to Gabriel Martinelli, suggested that the dam
was creaking. Ayling got there just in time to just about clear Martinelli's
goalbound effort to save Meslier from the fate he suffered at Jonny's hands at
Molineux.
But at half-time Leeds were still in the game and with a
disciplined start to the second half could remain in it and hope to get a
chance and nick something. That was Gracia's message in the dressing room as he
stuck with the starting XI and told them to stick with the plan.
Two minutes after the restart it went out the window.
Martinelli got past Ayling with too much ease and played a ball to the back
post where Harrison was sleeping, Ben White stealing in to crash home off the
crossbar.
It took eight further minutes for the third to arrive and
with it the three points for Arsenal. Jesus fired the ball into the feet of
Leandro Trossard, he got around Robin Koch and squared for Jesus to arrive and
knock home his second. As good as Arsenal were in the final third, the
defending helped a team who really need no help.
The plan then became damage limitation and Gracia's
substitutions as the half wore on suggested he now had one eye fully on Forest.
Leeds had two chances to pull one back before they
eventually did, Aaronson denied by Ramsdale and Kristensen by his own high and
wild finish, but the makeshift midfielder made amends with a deflected sidefoot
effort from just outside the box on 76 minutes.
Previously it would have been very Arsenal for them to
wobble and potentially crumble, but this team looks like a different animal and
it was no surprise that even as nerves settled around The Emirates, the next
goal went in the Leeds net.
Granit Xhaka popped up on the edge of the box, indicated to
Martin Odegaard that he wanted a high cross and when it came he was quicker off
the mark than Ayling, running in to head past Meslier for a comprehensive
scoreline. It might have slightly flattered the hosts but only ever so slightly
and it was always a distinct possibility. That Leeds delayed the inevitable as
long as they did was at least one positive to take from it.
"They were scoring in the last three, four games at the
Emirates, scoring three or four goals - it's something they usually do,"
said Gracia. So with no time to complain, and no point in dwelling, he's moving
on to Tuesday. This lost battle and any feelings associated with it should be
left in London. The war is still to be won. The real fight begins in earnest on
home soil this week.
