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Premier League | Gameweek 11

Oct 16, 2022 at 2pm UK

Elland Road

Leeds
0 - 1
Arsenal

FT(HT: 0-1)

Saka (35')
Saliba (62'), Magalhaes (90+5')

Arsenal beat Leeds to record best-ever start to top-flight season

By Barney Corkhill, Editor | 16 October 2022

Bukayo Saka scores the only goal of the game as Arsenal beat Leeds United 1-0 to secure their best-ever start to a top-flight season.

Arsenal have beaten Leeds United 1-0 at Elland Road to secure their best-ever start to an English top-flight campaign.

Bukayo Saka scored the only goal of the game to seal a ninth win in 10 matches for Mikel Arteta's side, moving them temporarily four points clear at the top of the Premier League table.

It is the first time in Arsenal's history that they have won as many as nine of their opening 10 games to a top-flight season, having only previously managed that in the second tier in 1903-04.

The last four teams to have achieved that feat have gone on to win the title, and this latest triumph will further encourage belief that Arsenal could mount a serious challenge to champions Manchester City this year.

However, the Gunners did not have things all their own way at Elland Road, with Patrick Bamford missing a penalty and seeing a goal disallowed and Leeds squandering a number of good opportunities to nick a point.

There was late drama too as Leeds thought that they had been awarded a penalty in stoppage time, with Arsenal's Gabriel Magalhaes being sent off for kicking out at Bamford, but after checking the pitchside monitor referee Chris Kavanagh overturned both decisions, ruling that Bamford had pushed Gabriel to the ground first.

That added yet more time to a game which had already been delayed by more than half an hour due to a power cut, but it was worth the wait from Arsenal's point of view as they continued their fine start to the campaign.

Saka picked out the roof of the net with his finish after Rodrigo Moreno's wayward crossfield pass was picked off, allowing Arsenal to attack and punish the hosts.

Leeds will feel hard done by that such a mistake proved so costly, though, having had 16 shots and enjoyed the lion's share of the good chances.

The best of the chances came from the spot as Bamford put his penalty wide after William Saliba had been penalised for a handball following a VAR review.

Bamford was at fault during the late drama too, with his shove on Gabriel ultimately convincing the referee to overturn his decision to award a penalty and send Gabriel off, although the Arsenal defender was somewhat fortunate to be handed his reprieve having kicked out at the Leeds striker.

The defeat is Leeds' first of the season at Elland Road but extends their winless run to six games, whereas Arsenal have now won seven successive games across all competitions.