Fewer touches than Darlow & 10 duels lost: Leeds star must now be dropped

Leeds United’s three-match unbeaten run came to an abrupt end on Saturday afternoon as Premier League leaders Arsenal swept to a commanding 4–0 victory at Elland Road.

Daniel Farke’s side were second best throughout, with the visitors controlling the contest from the opening whistle.

Arsenal broke the deadlock inside the first half-hour when Martín Zubimendi rose to meet a superb delivery from Noni Madueke and headed home.

The Gunners doubled their advantage soon after, capitalising on a costly error from Karl Darlow. The Leeds goalkeeper attempted to punch clear a corner but instead diverted the ball into his own net.

Arsenal added a third goal with around 20 minutes remaining in another moment to forget for the hosts.

Viktor Gyökeres, scoring a rare goal, got ahead of Jayden Bogle at the back post and guided his effort goalwards. Once again, Darlow will feel he could have done better, with the shot travelling straight at him.

The result was sealed late on when Gabriel Jesus found space inside the penalty area and finished clinically, leaving the Leeds keeper with no chance.

It summed up a miserable afternoon for the Whites, who will be disappointed by their inability to mount a meaningful challenge.

Did Farke get it wrong against Arsenal?

There was hope that Farke’s recently introduced back-three system might help Leeds stay compact and frustrate Arsenal. Instead, the approach appeared to play into the visitors’ hands.

Leeds surprisingly enjoyed 48 per cent of possession — more than many would have expected — possibly due to Farke deploying two number 10s behind Dominic Calvert-Lewin rather than using a second central striker.

While the Leeds boss was full of praise for Arsenal’s quality, there is a case to be made that his tactical setup missed the mark.

Calvert-Lewin was described as “isolated” by Yorkshire Evening Post journalist Graham Smyth, and the striker often found himself battling alone against Arsenal’s defence.

Despite working tirelessly, he struggled to influence the game, raising questions over whether Farke should have provided him with more attacking support.

One of the two number 10s, in particular, failed to make an impact.

The Leeds player who struggled most

Brenden Aaronson endured a difficult afternoon despite some improved recent performances. Operating as the left-sided number 10, the American found himself outmatched by Arsenal’s right-side defensive pairing of William Saliba and Jurrien Timber.

Smyth awarded Aaronson a 5/10 rating, noting that while he worked hard, he “couldn’t be dangerous or tidy enough to make something happen” against the league leaders.

The statistics backed up that assessment. Aaronson registered just 34 touches — fewer than Darlow’s 55 — completed only one of five dribbles, lost ten duels and failed to create a single chance.

Given that display, it would be no surprise to see Aaronson drop out of the starting XI for Leeds’ crucial relegation showdown against Nottingham Forest next Friday night — a fixture the West Yorkshire side simply must win.

Farke has alternatives at his disposal and may opt to tweak his system to better support Calvert-Lewin.