Arsenal fortunate to hold off Leeds and stay top of Premier League

Bukayo Saka’s first-half goal clinched Arsenal a hard-fought and controversial 1-0 win at Leeds and kept them top of the Premier League table.

Saka slammed home an emphatic finish 10 minutes before the interval as Arsenal won for the ninth time in 10 league games this season.

But Leeds, inspired by the half-time introduction of talisman Patrick Bamford, dominated the second period and will feel aggrieved to have lost.

Bamford missed a penalty and Leeds had another spot-kick decision in stoppage time, initially awarded by referee Chris Kavanagh, overturned after a VAR intervention.

Play was suspended by Kavanagh less than a minute after kick-off when all the match officials lost contact with the video assistant referee and goal-line technology due to a power cut.

Kavanagh led the players off the pitch amid a chorus of boos and play did not resume for nearly 40 minutes.

Leeds showed no adverse effects as Luis Sinisterra forced Arsenal’s rearguard on to the retreat before dragging a low shot wide.

Another curling effort from Sinisterra was deflected wide and from the subsequent corner Pascal Struijk’s stabbed effort was saved by Aaron Ramsdale.

Arsenal then broke ominously down the other end and Gabriel Jesus lifted his shot over the crossbar after Martin Odegaard’s neat flick.

⚡️ Big team performance