Arsenal tore up the script of crisis and doubt at Elland Road, delivering a ruthless 4-0 demolition of Leeds to remind the Premier League why they still sit on the throne, stretching their lead to seven points after days of mounting criticism.

Coming into the clash on the back of a three-game winless run that yielded just two points, and an embarrassing stat where their only open-play goal came via an opponent’s own defender, Arsenal needed a statement. That task looked harder before kick-off when Bukayo Saka pulled out injured, fuelling fears of another blunt attacking display.

With their chief creator sidelined and January numbers exposing them as one of the league’s weakest sides in open-play xG, Arsenal were expected to stumble. Instead, they turned vulnerability into aggression, opting for siege football rather than subtlety.

From the first whistle, Leeds were trapped in their own half, battered by wave after wave of pressure. Corners piled up, territory was monopolised, and resistance felt temporary rather than defiant.

That pressure finally cracked inside 30 minutes when Noni Madueke, Saka’s emergency replacement, whipped in a corner that Martín Zubimendi glanced home. The goal underlined Arsenal’s growing set-piece obsession, with the midfielder matching Leandro Trossard as their top non-penalty scorer this season and reinforcing their status as the league’s most lethal side in the air.

Moments later, chaos struck again from another corner. Madueke’s inswinger caused panic, Karl Darlow flapped, Dominic Calvert-Lewin suffered collateral damage, and the ball ended up in Leeds’ net. Arsenal didn’t even need a touch. It was their fifth opposition own goal of the season, a stat that screams pressure more than luck.

By half-time, Arsenal were two goals up from just two shots and a laughable 0.26 xG, proof that dominance doesn’t always need finesse, sometimes, it just needs relentless force.