Having waited three months to see us in competitive action back at our home, we put on a devastating display against Leeds United at Emirates Stadium on Saturday.
Our 5-0 success was one for all Gooners inside the stadium and watching around the world, with many memorable moments and displays.
Our tactical expert Adrian Clarke has cast his eye over the footage and stats to work out why we were so brilliant in our home opener:
ZUBIMENDI & RICE DOMINATE
Playing as a double pivot in central midfield, Martin Zubimendi and Declan Rice had too much all-round quality for their Leeds United counterparts to handle. It was especially pleasing to see how heavily involved Rice was in our build-up play.
Last term, playing higher up the pitch, he averaged 47 passes per 90 minutes. Here, operating deeper, he completed 63 of 65 passes, not giving the ball away once inside his own half:
Rice was particularly useful at helping us play out from the back when Leeds tried to shut off our options. This example below shows him arriving late from an advanced starting position, sprinting back to offer David Raya a pass. Moving the ball quickly to Jurrien Timber, we were able to beat the press with ease:
Summer signing Zubimendi was also in terrific form, completing 72 passes. Always on the front foot, the Spaniard also attempted a team-high 18 passes inside the final third.
His defensive work stood out as well. Regaining possession on a frequent basis with his intelligent reading of the game and counter-pressing, the 26-year-old ensured the visitors’ midfield were totally nullified.
This brilliant piece of pressing from a goal kick created a great half-chance for Viktor Gyokeres:
DUEL MONSTERS
Daniel Farke’s side had beefed up their starting XI with more physical players this summer, but in our opening home match we exerted our authority with a very muscular display. Ensuring the newly promoted side were unable to knock us out of rhythm like Manchester United did on MW1, Mikel Arteta’s players showed great strength and determination in 50-50s.
| ARS | LEE | |
|---|---|---|
| 81 | Total duels | 81 |
| 59% | Duels won | 41% |
| 17 | Total aerial duels | 17 |
| 77% | Aerial duels won | 24% |
| 7 | Possesion won in final third | 1 |
Pressing well, we regained the ball seven times inside the final third, while also winning 59.3% of our duels. In the air they could not live with us, losing 76.5% of aerial duels.
GYOKERES OFF THE MARK
It was wonderful to see our new striker get his first Gunners goals with a stellar individual opener in front of a raucous North Bank, backed up by a late penalty.
During the course of every appearance Gyokeres makes a lot of runs, and this means he is sure to thrive when early passes are played behind the opposition’s backline. Credit should go to Riccardo Calafiori for seeing the space and playing a first-time pass into the left channel for the Swede, who looked unstoppable when cutting back onto his right foot to score.
It was a trademark Gyokeres strike, which Sporting fans bore witness to on numerous occasions across the two previous campaigns. The key now is for us to attempt more of these quick, progressive passes, because that is the type of service he craves.
In terms of work-rate, Gyokeres also delivered brilliant numbers. Always moving, our new No. 14 ran further than anyone else and made the most intensive runs too:
| Total | AFC Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Distance covered | 11.67km | 1st |
| Intensive runs | 324 | 1st |
| Sprints | 22 | 1st |
HOMEGROWN STARS SHINE
This was another proud day for all the staff at our outstanding Hale End academy. Seeing Max Dowman make his Premier League debut at the age of just 15 years and 234 days, and producing a sparkling second-half display too, will have put smiles on the faces of all those involved in his development until this point.
Dowman came off the bench to win a penalty, and it was his positive ball-carrying that really caught the eye, making four dribbles, taking on two shots, and touching the ball inside the box five times. The way he put defenders on the back foot was exciting to watch.
Four of our academy products were involved in this match. Bukayo Saka scored a brilliant goal, while Dowman, Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly all played excellently as second-half replacements.
On an evening where we passed the ball very well as a team, those three ‘finishers’ all ended the contest with 100 per cent pass accuracy stats too:
| Player | Passes | Pass Accuracy |
|---|---|---|
| Ethan Nwaneri | 26 | 100% |
| Myles Lewis-Skelly | 21 | 100% |
| Max Dowman | 2 | 100% |
| Cristhian Mosquera | 10 | 100% |
| Declan Rice | 65 | 96.9% |
We looked after the ball exceptionally well. Remarkably, 10 of the 16 players who featured ended the match with passing accuracy of over 90%.
FANTASTIC DAY FOR FULL-BACKS
Timber got two goals and an assist, while Calafiori also notched a brace of assists to stamp their mark on this comfortable 5-0 success.
Our Dutch right-back was terrific all game long, making four tackles, two interceptions and winning six duels, while his through ball for Saka’s goal was also executed with inch-perfect precision:
Arriving late inside the middle of the six-yard box from corners, Timber also made his presence felt, scoring twice. His first goal exposed a flimsy zonal marking setup from the visitors, when he flicked home a wonderful, angled header:
It was surprising that Farke’s side allowed our players to sneak up behind them so easily, with little to no physical contact, and we punished them accordingly:
It shouldn’t be forgotten that Calafiori – who combined well with Noni Madueke down the left side – earned us the corner which gave the team this important first-half breakthrough. His marauding overlap and cross forced Leeds to put the ball behind, and it was just one example of how the Italian’s effervescent style had a positive impact on the performance.
Both full-backs deserved the plaudits they received after the final whistle.
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