Gooner’s Verdict: Arsenal 5 - Leeds United 0

What a day.

This is supposed to be focused on the match that was, but so much happened within a matter of hours. Of course, we will get thoughts on the win, but I have to start with Eze being introduced at the Emirates and walking out onto the pitch before the game in front of the supporters. We are familiar with Eze’s story from Hale End, and I shared in my previous post why I believe he will be a perfect signing for us. However, it’s a story that rarely happens in elite sports. You could see what it meant to him to be back with the club he supports, wearing the number 10 jersey, and taking in this rare and incredible opportunity. I have shamelessly watched that video 10 times already. Welcome home, Eze.

Outside of that, there was a match where Arsenal put Leeds away early, although they didn’t necessarily play well throughout. More on that later, but they were able to score 5 goals and keep a clean sheet, which, in the long run, could be valuable if goal difference plays a part in where teams finish in the league table. Time will tell, however, who scored was important, and we saw Gyokeres score his first two competitive goals for Arsenal. The first, in the 48th minute, was a cut inside from the left side of the box to go past two defenders and beat the keeper at the near post. A veteran strikers finish that knows where the goal is, and I’m sure a goal that took a huge weight off his shoulders, as well as scoring the penalty in the 95th minute for his second goal of the night. Getting Gyokeres' scoring and feeling confident about playing in the league early in the season was one of my top priorities, so hopefully, this will see him continue to be aggressive in front of the goal moving forward.

Jurrrien Timber continued to show his value to the team, registering two goals and an assist, and was my man of the match. He can do everything. Arteta has always reiterated that he wants all outfield players to be goal threats in certain positions, and Timber embodies that the most. At only about 5'9, he is excellent in the air on corners and always alert in the box. While Ben White has his own strengths, sniffing out goal-scoring opportunities from right back is not one of them. This will be Timber's second full season after recovering from his ACL injury, and while he is always excellent defensively, I think he will have a noticeably positive impact from an attacking standpoint and challenge Gabriel for the most goals scored by a defender.

Speaking of the penalty, another first was Max Dowman playing his first competitive game for Arsenal at the age of 15, and he looked remarkably confident and comfortable playing against grown men. It was the perfect match for him to come on when Arsenal were winning 4-0 at the time, and Dowman continued to do what he has done all preseason. He took on his fullback, often beating them, took shots, and ultimately drew the penalty that Gyokeres converted. This wasn't a 15-year-old just happy to be on the pitch, trying not to make mistakes, and constantly deferring to the more senior players. He was constantly calling for the ball and making smart, yet aggressive, moves forward. Without going overboard, it was exactly what I expected from Dowman, and that alone speaks volumes, given his lack of experience at this level. It will be really interesting to see how much game time he gets in Premier League matches this season.

Saka and Odegaard left the pitch midway through the match with injuries to their hamstrings (Saka) and shoulders (Odegaard), which is really discouraging, given how early in the season it is and the difficulty of Arsenal's first five-game schedule. Saka will be the most significant blow, given he's our best and most consistent player, and it's concerning that he has suffered another hamstring injury so early in the season, despite it being a different leg from last year. Hamstrings are unpredictable, and once you have an injury, it takes time to regain the confidence to exert as much energy or be as explosive as you were before. He's definitely ruled out for the match on Sunday against Liverpool and will likely miss the next three weeks, which could also see him miss games against Nottingham Forest and Manchester City. Such awful timing, but we now have the deepest squad that I can remember, so I expect both Madueke and Eze to step in for Saka and Odegaard, which should not be a significant drop in quality, to be honest, especially in the case of Eze for Odegaard, which I am really looking forward to seeing. It's a huge opportunity for Madueke to show what he can bring to the squad when called upon, especially against some of the best teams in the league. It will also be a big opportunity for Nwaneri to hopefully get valuable minutes in the right 8 position. He looked great against Leeds, showing more aggression and driving forward more than we see with Odegaard. The combination of him and Eze should significantly increase goal threat and shot creation from midfield, which will be refreshing to see.

It was a mostly positive day all around during the first home game of the season, but there are massive games coming up over the next few weeks that could have a major impact on our season, depending on how many points Arsenal picks up. We now have an experienced group of players who understand the importance of each match, particularly in the context of finishing second in the past three seasons. I'm sure Arteta will emphasize taking each match game by game, and executing at the highest level against that particular opponent, which means all focus in preparation this week will be on Liverpool.