Mikel Arteta ’s jubilant reaction at the final whistle of this bonkers game said it all.
He punched the air and hugged his technical staff like they had just won the league because he knew this was a big, big victory. Arteta’s winning machine so nearly came unstuck at Elland Road and Leeds deserved at least for their display and they dominated the second half but missed a penalty.
The Gunners just about held on to thanks to a combination of Aaron Ramsdale ’s heroics in goal, Gabriel’s resolute defending, VAR and luck. They survived a scare in stoppage time when referee Chris Kavanagh sent off Gabriel and awarded Leeds a second spot-kick before he overturned his decisions after viewing the pitchside monitor.
Arsenal were well below their normal, fluent selves and they only played their slick, passing football in patches. But they have won nine of their opening 10 league games for the first time since seasons 1903-04 to consolidate their position at the top of the Premier League.
Leeds deserved so much more than a hard-luck story and after gifting Arsenal their goal, they threw everything at them. They will play worse than this and win this season and although their wait for a first victory since August 21 goes on, they can take several positives from this display.
Play was suspended for nearly 40 minutes after just 90 seconds because a power cut in the local area took out the communications between Kavanagh, the VAR and Hawkeye. That unusual event set the tone for what was a madcap afternoon at Elland Road.
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Leeds showed plenty of intensity as Luis Sinisterra and Rodrigo threatened and Pascal Struijk had a close-range shot saved by Ramsdale. Gabriel Jesus should have scored when Martin Odegaard played him through, but he scooped his shot over.
Leeds undid all their hard work when Rodrigo played a kamikaze crossfield ball towards Struijk, but only succeeded in finding Bukayo Saka. The England winger played a one-two with Odegaard and fired home his fifth goal of the season into the roof of the net from a narrow angle on 35 minutes.
Jesse Marsch brought Bamford on for Rodrigo at half-time and the England striker had an effort disallowed for a foul within a minute.
Bamford pounced on William Saliba ’s uncharacteristic loose ball and his shot hit Ramsdale in the nether regions, leaving him needing treatment. Arsenal were rocking and Leeds won a penalty after Kavanagh checked the pitchside monitor to see Jack Harrison’s cross come off Saliba’s right arm.
But Bamford fired the 64th-minute penalty millimetres wide and Marsch’s head dropped as he looked on from the touchline.
Bamford continued his duel with Ramsdale and the Gunners goalkeeper rushed out to block his shot with the Leeds striker appealing in vain that Saliba had tugged him back. Ramsdale made an even better save, diving to his right to keep out Brenden Aaronson’s drive and Crysencio Summerville blazed over.
The final dramatic episode came in the second minute of stoppage time when Bamford barged into Gabriel and the Arsenal defender kicked out at him as he went down. Kavanagh initially produced a red card and awarded a penalty only to scrap his spot-kick decision and show Gabriel a yellow after VAR advised him to review the incident. A crazy end to a crazy game.
