Arsenal are one step closer to the Premier League title. The team of manager Mikel Arteta had no problem with Leeds United on Saturday afternoon: 4-1. Gabriel Jesus (twice), Ben White and Granit Xhaka were accurate the Gunners, while former Ajax player Rasmus Kristensen did something in return. With the win, Arsenal increases the gap with number two Manchester City, who won 4-1 against Liverpool earlier in the day, to eight points again. The number two still has a duel credit. Leeds drops to seventeenth place.
Arsenal started the game with one different player than two weeks ago, when they won 4-1 against Crystal Palace: Jesus was fit enough to show again from the first minute after his knee injury, leaving Bukayo Saka to settle for a spare roll. Former Eredivisionists Oleksandr Zinchenko and Martin Ødegaard were also in the starting line-up with the home team. Dutchmen Pascal Struijk and Crysencio Summerville started the game at Leeds, as did ex-Eredivisie players Kristensen and Luis Sinisterra.
For the first time in the base after his injury and right on the scoresheet ???? ???????????? puts Arsenal ahead against Leeds United ??https://t.co/juPaG0fS9q#ViaplaySportNL #ViaplayFootball pic.twitter.com/yvEYGO4ZaV
— Viaplay Sport Netherlands (@viaplaysportnl) April 1, 2023
The leader had some difficulty in creating opportunities in the first half. For a long time, a header that went over from Jesus was Arsenal’s only achievement. Leeds showed themselves regularly, but efforts from Summerville and Jack Harrison were turned by Aaron Ramsdale. The score was opened ten minutes before the break, and it was Jesus who did: the Brazilian was knocked down by Luke Ayling in the enemy’s penalty area and converted the awarded penalty himself.
Early in the second half, Arsenal doubled the score. Gabriel Martinelli passed, White was able to tap the ball in at the far post via the underside of the crossbar: 2-0. Eight minutes later, Jesus scored his second goal, sliding in the ball after a nice combination with Leandro Trossard. The game was decided, although Leeds refused to give up. The visitors came close to 3-1 through Brenden Aaronson, but the striker failed face to face with Ramsdale. Fifteen minutes before the end, Kristensen still made the goal of honor with a placed long shot. With a header from Ødegaard, Xhaka determined the final score just before the end: 4-1.
| No. | Team | m | W | G | v | +/- | Pnt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arsenal | 29 | 23 | 3 | 3 | 43 | 72 |
| 2 | Manchester City | 28 | 20 | 4 | 4 | 45 | 64 |
| 3 | Manchester United | 26 | 15 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 50 |
| 4 | Tottenham Hotspur | 28 | 15 | 4 | 9 | 12 | 49 |
| 5 | Newcastle United | 26 | 12 | 11 | 3 | 20 | 47 |
| 6 | Liverpool | 27 | 12 | 6 | 9 | 15 | 42 |
| 7 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 25 | 12 | 6 | 7 | 15 | 42 |
| 8 | Brentford | 27 | 10 | 12 | 5 | 9 | 42 |
| 9 | Fulham | 28 | 11 | 6 | 11 | 0 | 39 |
| 10 | Chelsea | 27 | 10 | 8 | 9 | 1 | 38 |
| 11 | Aston Villa | 27 | 11 | 5 | 11 | -4 | 38 |
| 12 | Crystal Palace | 29 | 7 | 9 | 13 | -15 | 30 |
| 13 | Wolverhampton W. | 29 | 7 | 7 | 15 | -19 | 28 |
| 14 | Nottingham Forest | 28 | 6 | 9 | 13 | -27 | 27 |
| 15 | AFC Bournemouth | 28 | 7 | 6 | 15 | -28 | 27 |
| 16 | Leeds United | 28 | 6 | 8 | 14 | -12 | 26 |
| 17 | Everton | 28 | 6 | 8 | 14 | -18 | 26 |
| 18 | Leicester City | 28 | 7 | 4 | 17 | -10 | 25 |
| 19 | West Ham United | 26 | 6 | 6 | 14 | -10 | 24 |
| 20 | Southampton | 28 | 6 | 5 | 17 | -23 | 23 |