well hello to you i must say i never tire of coming to this particular football stadium
ellen road and it's a clear night for football i'm derek ray and keeping me company in the commentary
box today is of course stuart robson and it's all about action from the premier league in this case
it's leeds united up against arsenal well thanks derek as always the scene is set two good teams
a great playing surface and a vibrant atmosphere has all the ingredients for a really exciting game
and a look at the lead united starting 11. well it's a flat 451 which would suggest they're going
to try and play on the counter attack however that will only work if they don't drop too deep and
can't support the main striker here are the starters for arsenal well in this 4-4-2 the
second forward has two jobs firstly to find space behind the opposition's midfield and secondly to
help out these central players when they haven't got the ball he'll certainly be key today
potentially one to saver arsenal get this game underway
get the advantage from the referee not all that convincing defensively
i'll throw it over for now
well you never quite know who's going to emerge from the shadows and become a match winner but
this man might be a decent shout what are you expecting to see from him stuart well
the best players are the ones that can play in tight areas and he can certainly play in tight
areas he wriggles out situations he can find that penetrative pass and he's such a good player when
he gets the ball out of his feet and gets shots away he could be the outstanding player today
nicely cut out
oh just wide of the mark goal kick well that never looked like trouble in the
keeper did it but it was worth an effort a good strike from him and he's going to
go back and issue a caution here well the referee wasn't going to forget that was he
phillips
and it should have been the first goal of the game
well i can't believe that chance has been squandered that should have been the opener
and on the back of that particular challenge well the referee let the mata rest there and following
the infringement a caution yeah no surprise there that was always going to be a booking
lacazette
can he put them in front brilliantly blocked perfect tackle
bamford now let's see what they can do here
but they took care of the situation defensively
now counter-attacking possibilities here until they have the guile to open up the defense
opportunity here it was an excellent example of how to break at pace well that's counter-attacking
football at its best they switch on so quickly when they win the ball back it deserved a goal
well as we can see arsenal dominated the ball in the
last 15 minutes they're creating plenty of chances and looking a constant threat
you feel they have to take the lead at some point with this sort of domination
crucial interception amid impending danger counter-attacking very much adoption well it could
be on for him here and there is the goal that gives him a world merited lead it had been coming
well here's the replay and just look how quickly they break forward once they win the ball back
but there's still plenty for him to do under all sorts of pressure from the defender
he's just able to keep him at bay and finishes with a plum it's a great goal
back underway
moving it forward
wonderful challenge and a throw-in coming up
not high quality defending
inching towards the halftime interval it's arsenal in front and stuart how about your thoughts
on their performance to this point yes they're defended really well all over the pitch their work
rate and discipline has been excellent but any drop in tempo and this lead could easily slip away
and the fourth official confirming he's in behind
and a goal they've added to the lead much needed security
well let's do this again this is counter attacking football at its very best and when he gets onto
it he decides to go for power it's a really emphatic finish which gives the keeper no chance
well as we highlight him you've got to say he's been well below his usual high standards
normally so composed in the middle of the park stuart yeah he's not been himself has he
he certainly hasn't been able to get a hold of that midfield area whether
he's carrying a knock or short of confidence only he will know that
the teams are ready to have a go at each other again as the second half commences
a tremendous vision matijos cliche
patient build-up at the moment and he read it well defensively
well it's a really poor challenge now what's the referee going to do about it
well the card is out and it's yellow yeah it's clumsy and it's late definitely a yellow card
osaka space and time for the cross
oh tremendous goal technical excellence to finish that one off wonderful to have those in
your repertoire well here's the replay and what a well delivered cross this is perfectly placed and
it makes the striker's job so easy all he has to do is make the right connection it's a lovely goal
this is looking rather comfortable for them three nil
porsche
not the pass he had in mind
white
now lacazette well possession is the watchword inside their own territory albert
well the stats don't lie arsenal had most of the possession
yes they've played well when going forward but it's been their ability to regain the ball
which has made them so hard to play against here and it makes them such a good team
it's been a brilliant performance so far real defensive resilience
oh terrific say well you're absolutely right that's a top class save just look how he reacts
tommy yasu a good and fair challenge this is looking threatening high echelon goalkeeping
so deciding to make a personnel change at this juncture
who's going to get on the end of it insufficient accuracy as regards the corner
good pressure can they make something of this
philips can he plays in no nonsense clearance
well the counter chance looks very real
and attempting the through ball
really good piece of goalkeeping there it'll be a corner substitution for arsenal coming off the
pitch thomas martin coming onto the pitch and there's the delivery good corner there
and into the last 15 minutes of action
crossing opportunity
possession lost into well if you've already
received a yellow card you surely want to stay away from that sort of challenge
and the place stop they will make the change now
it's a perfect challenge
and they did have the ball but not anymore
martin erdogan
and a wonderful diving save to deny the opportunity
substitution then let's see how it affects the match
playing it in the clearance wasn't decisive
now the referee not too happy with the challenge and blows for a free-kick
cooper jamie shackleton on to bamford
how could he take them on and beat them now to the front post oh terrific say
from the keeper well that's just a wonderful save how did he stop that
over it comes it's still alive the fist of the goalkeeper
now can they counter clinically well that break looks so promising but
nothing coming from it so there it is the final whistle and a satisfying outcome for arsenal and
their many fans around the world what did you think of their performance as a whole well derek
they were the better team all over the pitch we saw good individual performances we saw an attack
which was always threatening and they played really well what a performance that was today
the cameras get up close and personal with pierre emerick aubameyang with good cause
well he gave that back line of torrid time didn't he he was far too sharp for them
always looking to play on the shoulder took his goals well too clearly the difference maker today