Mad Noni runs riot at Elland Road as Gunners stars show no mercy
By SCM Sports Correspondent
LEEDS were left battered, bruised, and bewildered as Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal juggernaut steamrolled through Elland Road with a 4-0 demolition job that felt more like a training exercise than a Premier League clash.
The drama started before a ball was even kicked when talisman Bukayo Saka limped out of the warm-up, sending a shiver through the travelling North London faithful.
But they needn’t have worried. Noni Madueke, the £50m man thrust into the spotlight at the eleventh hour, turned in a “Starboy” performance that left Leeds defenders chasing shadows.
The breakthrough came on 27 minutes.
The Nigerian, Madueke, playing with the swagger of a man with a point to prove, whipped in a delicious cross after a half-cleared corner. Martin Zubimendi reacted first, ghosting into the box to thump a header past a helpless Karl Darlow.
It went from bad to worse for the Leeds keeper ten minutes later.
Another wicked, in-swinging corner from the irrepressible Madueke caused total chaos in the six-yard box.
Darlow, under pressure from the towering Gabriel, tried to punch clear but only succeeded in flapping the ball into his own net. Elland Road fell silent, save for the mocking cheers from the away end.
Leeds boss Daniel Farke tried to inject some life into his side after the break, but Arsenal’s backline—marshalled by a dominant Gabriel and a composed William Saliba—was an iron wall.
David Raya in the Arsenal goal could have spent the afternoon doing a crossword for all the trouble Leeds caused him.
Arteta showed the terrifying depth of his squad by bringing on Gabriel Martinelli and Martin Odegaard after the hour mark. Within minutes, Martinelli drove to the byline and picked out Viktor Gyökeres, who prodded home his sixth league goal of the campaign to make it three.
The final insult arrived four minutes from time. Substitute Gabriel Jesus, eager to remind everyone of his quality, latched onto an Odegaard through-ball, spun his marker, and curled a peach of a finish into the bottom corner.
