Gabriel Jesus doubles up to see off Leeds and keep Arsenal on track

As you were. Arsenal needed a trouble-free afternoon and, after a scratchy first third of this game, sailed home with the most comfortable three points they will earn all season. Any stumble would have looked all the more significant given the manner of Manchester City’s earlier success but the outcome was in scant doubt from the moment Gabriel Jesus opened the scoring with a penalty 10 minutes before half-time. He would double his tally, in a timely return to scoring form, after a goal from Ben White; a reply from Rasmus Kristensen never felt consequential and was quickly followed by Granit Xhaka’s third goal in as many club games. Mikel Arteta can reflect that the first stage of a 10-game sprint was completed with little fuss.

The burning question was how Arsenal would handle playing straight after such a statement win from their closest rivals. It is that time of the season now: when the slightest slip contains agonies that may be felt for weeks. Therefore it did not seem like the moment for Arteta to face life without Bukayo Saka, but the Premier League’s best player since August was only fit for a place on the bench after missing training through illness. Saka had not failed to start a top-flight game since December 2021.

William Saliba was completely absent with injury and Arsenal’s defence were almost caught cold within seven seconds, Aaron Ramsdale tipping away Kristensen’s snap shot to his right. It was almost an advance on Bournemouth’s astonishing start here four weeks ago and signalled that Leeds, reshuffled by Javi Gracia into a hard-running 4-3-3 with no recognised striker, would seize the mettle when possible.

They were helped by a flat opening half-hour from Arsenal, who patently missed Saka and were as