Arsenal 2-0 Leeds
by Layth Yousif
at Ashburton Grove

ARSENAL eased past Leeds United 2-0 to reach the quarter-finals of the League Cup on Tuesday evening at Ashburton Grove to make it eight games unbeaten in all competitions.

Second-half goals from Calum Chambers — moments after replacing Ben White — and Eddie Nketiah, were enough to dispatch the visitors.

The Gunners made nine changes from the side that were so dominant against Aston Villa on Friday evening in north London, with only Emile Smith Rowe and White remaining in the starting XI.

While Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds have had a patchy season so far, failing to hit the heights of their first campaign back in the Premier League last term, they are still a threat.

They were backed by around 5,000 vociferous travelling supporters in the lower tier, which made for an atmospheric tie, even if the football was decidedly low-key.

The opponents from West Yorkshire were always industrious, yet lacked sufficient quality to break down the Gunners’ backline.

England midfielder Kalvin Phillips, who shone during the Three Lions’ memorable run to the final of Euro 2020 final this summer, was his usual combative self.

Leeds’ best chance of an open, if uninspiring first half, came when Jack Harrison forced a low save from Bernd Leno, in for the new undisputed Gunners league choice Aaron Ramsdale between the sticks, while Smith Rowe volleyed over Illan Meslier’s bar shortly before the interval.

The pivotal moment came after the break. With White’s burgeoning Premier League partnership with Gabriel growing more effective by the game, the Ashburton Grove held its collective breath when the former Brighton defender went down in the 55th minute.

However, Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta confirmed afterwards that it was more due to the effects of a bug doing the rounds, rather than any injury as many watching on feared.

Enter Chambers as White’s replacement to bolster the back line. The Gunners had a corner when he entered the fray and, so naturally, headed into the box to boost his colleagues.

Precisely 23 seconds after he came on, in a crowded box, the former Southampton defender headed the ball into the net past Meslier, after Nicolas Pepe nodded on a Smith Rowe corner.

While VAR is not employed in the League Cup, referee Andre Marriner took an age to decide the ball had crossed the line, before correctly ruling that it had, to make it 1-0 to Arsenal.

Cue Ashburton Grove erupting in joy, relishing the rare delight of a substitute scoring with his first touch, not to mention the fact the popular Chambers had missed a year of his career with a ruptured anterior cruciate injury, as he grabbed his first goal in more than two years.

“He totally deserved it,” said Arteta of Chambers, who it must be noted, raced straight to set-piece coach Nicolas Jover during his celebrations, almost as quickly as he broke away from his marker, Diego Llorente.

“It was a great moment because he helped us to win the game. He is someone who deserves the best, for how he is as a person and a professional.”

Fourteen minutes later, Nketiah doubled the scoreline to make it 2-0, when forcing the ball into the net past the despairing Meslier.

“Clearly the differences between the first and second half came after the goal,” Bielsa sagely noted.

Nketiah’s close range effort was less than convincing, with many in the ground believing the ball’s trajectory was moving away from the goal line, before it eventually crossed the whitewash at the far post, to make it two goals in two games in this competition after notching in the 3-1 victory over AFC Wimbledon in the previous round.

“I have no doubt over what he can offer,” Arteta said of the 22-year-old Nketiah, adding: “Whatever you throw at him, he wants more. I’m delighted to see the performance he had. I have full belief he will be a top player, and hopefully at Arsenal.”

After an utterly dispiriting August for everyone associated with the club, no wonder Ashburton Grove PA played Moving On Up at the final whistle after another sterling performance.