Arteta Hails Arsenal Response After Victory Against Leeds

Arsenal fight back at the Emirates

Arsenal earned a 2-1 victory against Leeds United at Emirates Stadium on Sunday. James Justin opened the scoring for Leeds in the 55th minute before Riccardo Calafiori and substitute Bruno Guimaraes scored to give the home side all three points. The win moved the champions level on points with Manchester City at the top of the table.

This result provided a strong response following a 3-0 loss to Brighton before the three week international break. Mikel Arteta admitted that his team had something to prove after their identity was questioned in that defeat.

Reflecting on a difficult spell

Arteta revealed that he struggled to process the Brighton loss over the three week break. He mentioned that his eyes were in pain while watching that performance again. Instead of placing blame elsewhere, he wanted to focus on what he and the team could do better.

Arsenal went into the match having missed 16 players across the break. They faced an undefeated Leeds team that had built up a strong position in the Premier League. Arteta pointed out that a 12.30 kickoff at home after a defeat was a difficult situation, but his players showed their clear desire to win.

Guimaraes delivers off the bench

Bruno Guimaraes marked his home debut with a match winning contribution off the bench. He scored the decisive goal, repeating his effort from last month when he scored at Sunderland. Arteta praised the midfielder after the game, noting that quality like his is needed to keep winning matches at the highest level.

What it means for the next game

Arsenal vs Lille (Champions League, Tue, 13 Oct): Arsenal win 67%, draw 21%, Lille win 12%; expected goals 2.00 to 0.70. Our safest pick: Arsenal or Draw.

Leeds United vs Manchester United (Premier League, Sun, 18 Oct): Leeds United win 37%, draw 26%, Manchester United win 37%; expected goals 1.42 to 1.43. Our safest pick: Over 1.5 goals.