Three Things We Learned After Arsenal Beat Leeds As Crucial Carabao Cup Chelsea Clash Looms 

A four-midable display at Elland Road is the perfect riposte to the doubters as we go six points clear.

Here's Gooner Fanzine print writer Ian Mills with his regular Three Things We Learned after Arsenal showed character to beat Leeds United 4-0 at Elland Road

1 - Noni steps up in style:

– when Bukayo Saka had to withdraw from the starting eleven due to getting injured in the warm-up, the portents for this game were not good.

Our opponents came into this match with a record of just one defeat in their last eleven games, while we were facing a huge test of our title credentials after last weekend’s poor display in the home defeat to Manchester United.

However, our summer signing from Chelsea excelled in the first half.

When his corner was partially cleared, the ball was recycled to him via Declan Rice and Madueke sent in a pinpoint cross which was headed home superbly by Martin Zubimendi to open the scoring.

Soon after, Madueke looked to have claimed his first league goal for the club when his excellent corner caught out Karl Darlow in the home side’s goal and went straight into the net.

Originally given as an own goal, the Premier League’s dubious goals panel officially awarded Noni the goal on Sunday which makes if four goals in total so far for the club.

I still think we need to see more end product from him on a regular basis however this performance was a massive step in the right direction.

2 - Strikers doing their thing:

– this game saw both Kai Havertz and Viktor Gyokeres start following their impressive displays against Kairat in midweek.

For Havertz, it is great having him involved again and these were more valuable minutes for him as he looks to make a very positive impact on the second half of our campaign. Gyokeres meanwhile had a more mixed performance.

He dwelt too long on the ball when well found by Leandro Trossard and was eventually tackled, however he showed goal poacher instincts to beat the Leeds defender to Gabi Martinelli’s cross to add our third goal, his fourth in his last six appearance and his eleventh in total for the club.

Gabriel Jesus then offered a lively cameo in which he scuffed one shot wide then had a fine header well saved before finally getting on the scoresheet with a brilliant turn and shot low into the bottom corner of the net.

3 - Declan delivers the perfect rallying cry:

– after this game, Rice was interviewed by Sky Sports Soccer Saturday and gave an impassioned speech the crux of which is as follows ‘ So far, we’re top in the Premier League, we won eight out of eight in the Champions League, we won the first game of the [Carabao Cup] semi-final, and we’re in the next round of the cup. If you want to be a winner, if you want to give everything, you’ve got to win these games.

"We have a long four months ahead, but ones we’re prepared for, and if you want to win with Arsenal and leave a legacy, this is your chance to do it in the next four months.’

It is hard to argue with that and if I was Mikel Arteta (and knowing how much he likes to use imagery at the training ground and in the changing room) I would be pinning this up on every wall to remind the whole squad of just what they could achieve this season.

We played first at the weekend and won impressively while our nearest challengers both faltered twenty fours later.

We have a massive game ahead on Tuesday as we look to finish the job against a fast-improving Chelsea in the semi-final second leg as a place at Wembley in the Carabao Cup Final beckons for the winners.