Nasri the master as Gunners fire down Leeds

SAMIR NASRI underlined his credentials as an early contender for player of the season with a sparkling display to help Arsenal finally get the better of Championship side Leeds in the FA Cup last night.

The France international scored the Gunners’ opener and was their creative heart as this time Leeds failed to cope with the qualities of their Premier League opposition.

Bacary Sagna’s cracking drive made it 2-0 and Leeds were left only with the memories of Bradley Johnson’s blistering strike to sweeten the bitter pill of defeat, especially when Robin van Persie came off the bench to round off the scoring.

After struggling against Leeds at home in this FA Cup third-round contest, and having been embarrassed at Ipswich in the Carling Cup last week, this was a far more comfortable ride for Arsene Wenger’s side.

That was thanks in large part to France international Nasri, whose presence in midfield looked hugely reassuring for the Gunners.

Afterwards the France international said: “We wanted to start really strongly. We scored after five minutes and tried to play our game even though the pitch was a little difficult.

“We want to win every competition and this cup is really important to us.”

The Gunners remain in contention for success in four different competitions this season and club captain Cesc Fabregas said: “We want to go all the way in every competition.

“We didn’t know too much about (Leeds) but they played very, very well at the Emirates.

“But tonight we were much superior to them.

“They were dangerous for a spell after they scored but Arsenal played fantastic football.”

It took less than five minutes for Nasri to make a telling impact and score his 14th goal of the season.

Andrey Arshavin played a key role in the move, with Marouane Chamakh stepping over his pass to allow Nasri to dance through and slip the ball neatly to the side of Kasper Schmeichel.

The Gunners did not let up, however, and Leeds were chasing elusive shadows for much of the game.

Simon Grayson’s men were kept in it by Schmeichel’s stunning save, scooping Chamakh’s downward header off the line.

When Sagna drilled home into the top corner with the outside of his right foot to make it 2-0, it seemed as though Arsenal were home and dry.

But Leeds, who had barely ventured into the Gunners’ half, were suddenly back in the running thanks to a quite stunning long-range strike by Johnson, who began his football life an Arsenal schoolboy but was released as a 15-year-old.

Johnson will not have hit a more glorious shot in his life. Struck with the left foot from 30 yards out, it screamed into the top right corner, with goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny helplessly clawing at thin air.

That gave Leeds some hope at the break but Nasri picked up the threads again immediately.

His lovely disguised pass put in Alex Song inside the opening 30 seconds, but Schmeichel beat away the strike.

Schmeichel then had to be alert to keep out Nasri’s free-kick but the Arsenal hordes kept coming.

One beautifully-crafted move saw Nasri so nearly send Arshavin clear only for a last-ditch interception by Robert Snodgrass.

Max Gradel and Billy Paynter had no change out of the Arsenal defence but they almost combined to good effect with 20 minutes left to serve the visitors a warning that this game was not over.

Perhaps stung by that, Wenger left nothing to chance as he sent Fabregas and Van Persie on for the last 15 minutes, and Spaniard Fabregas almost immediately forced Schmeichel into a save from a free-kick that drifted just wide.

Van Persie’s first touch was even more decisive, however , the Dutchman heading powerfully home from Bendtner’s cross to finally end the contest.

LEEDS: Schmeichel, Connolly, Bruce, O’Brien (Bromby 66), Parker, Watt (Sam 79), Howson, Johnson, Snodgrass, Paynter (Somma 68), Gradel.

ARSENAL: Szczesny, Sagna, Koscielny, Djourou, Gibbs, Bendtner, Denilson, Song, Arshavin (van Persie 71), Nasri (Clichy 83), Chamakh (Fabregas 71).

Ref: Mike Dean (Wirral).