Gabriel Jesus double helps Arsenal restore eight-point lead

BACK WITH A BANG: Arsenal's Gabriel Jesus celebrates scoring his side's first goal of the game from the penalty spot during the Premier League match at the Emirates Stadium, London. Pic: Adam Davy/PA Wire

ARSENAL 4-1 LEEDS 

Gabriel Jesus scored his first goals in six months to restore Arsenal's lead to eight points at the top of the Premier league table with just nine matches to play.

The Brazil forward, who only returned from a post-World Cup knee operation three games ago, had not netted since the north London derby back on 1 October - a run of 17 matches.

It was his tricky run that caused a strong Leeds defence to finally wilt as Luke Ayling hacked him down to concede a penalty ten minutes before half-time. Jesus sent Illan Meslier the wrong way from the spot kick and Arsenal were off and running.

Defender Ben White deservedly doubled just two minutes into the second half before Jesus put the match beyond relegation-threatened Leeds with another goal after 55 minutes.

The pressure was on Arsenal to deliver after second-placed Manchester City thrashed Liverpool in Saturday's early kick off and Mikel Arteta's side held their nerve when faced with opposition intent on defending at all costs.

That said, Leeds had a few chances to score in the first half. Rasmus Kristensen forced Aaron Ramsdale into a diving save with only seven seconds gone, a near replica of how Arsenal conceded in the opening move of the match here against Bournemouth just over three weeks ago.

But they lacked Arsenal's attacking qualities when it mattered most and are now just one place above the relegation zone – ahead of Everton on goal difference.

It was a celebration of attacking football for Arsenal fans, though, and Jesus was accorded a standing ovation when he was replaced by Bukayo Saka with half an hour to go.

Arsenal's starboy Saka did not start for the first time since December 2021 after suffering from a bug in midweek, but looks like he will be fully fit for their next match away to Liverpool on Easter Sunday.

Leeds gave their fervent following even more to sing about when Kristensen scored from the edge of the area, with the help of a deflection off Oleksandr Zinchenko's backside in the 76th minute.

Granit Xhaka restored the three goal advantage when he headed in from a Martin Odegaard just nine minutes later. No more than Arsenal, or Leeds for that matter, deserved.

Arsenal: Ramsdale 6; White 7, Holding 6, Gabriel 7, Zinchenko 6 (Tierney 86); Partey 6 (Jorginho 60); Trossard 7, Odegaard 6, Xhaka 6 (Vieira 76), Martinelli 6; Jesus 8 (Saka 60). 

Subs not used: Turner, Smith Rowe, Kiwior, Nelson, Walters.

Leeds: Meslier 6, Ayling 3, Koch 5 (Cooper 74), Struijk 5, Firpo 5, Aaronson 6 (McKennie 65), Roca 6, Summerville 6 (Rutter 74), Harrison 5 (Bamford 85), Sinisterra 5 (Rodrigo 65), Kristensen 6. 

Subs not used: Robles, Gyabi, Greenwood, Gray.

Referee: Darren England 7. 

Attendance: 60,283.