Leeds Utd v Arsenal Match Thread

[White Riot]

With Calvert--Lewin infront of Darlow, he hasn't got a clear punch on it with the ball hitting Justin's back who was also on the near post.

So neither Justin, Calvert-Lewin & Darlow managed to clear the cross away efficiently.

Darlow can't take all the blame, he is impeded by his own players.

I reckon it's a Justin OG.

A complete mess!



Screenshot 2026-02-01 10.48.49.png

And no Arsenal players near them Leon.

Suicidal defending from the three of them.

If we're saying Arsenal are a better football team, with better quality players and we're just looking to contain them. Then the fundamental requirement is that we at least get the basics of defending correct.

Handing them two goals for starters just gave them free rein to take their time and pull us apart at a nice relaxed pace.

I don't think they exerted themselves all afternoon. Really disappointing Leon.

Our two worst performances have come against them, and their two easiest matches this season have come against us.

We gave them it twice on a plate.

At Forest and Sunderland they had to work their nuts off just to get a draw, and that's what I was expecting yesterday.

[WhiteRose]

It was a very poor performance yesterday but using it as a microcosm to reflect on the season at large and last summers transfer window is unfair. It will be a while before we can truly compete with Arsenal, it’s not like the late 90s, the gap now is absolutely huge and it’s going to take 10 years of continued premier league residency to even get close to the best teams - bad day for the lads, poor goals conceded under constant pressure and questions need to be asked but don’t throw the baby out with the bath water, we are still well in with a chance to stay up and that’s all we need this season.

[Finnatic]

With Calvert--Lewin infront of Darlow, he hasn't got a clear punch on it with the ball hitting Justin's back who was also on the near post.

So neither Justin, Calvert-Lewin & Darlow managed to clear the cross away efficiently.

Darlow can't take all the blame, he is impeded by his own players.

I reckon it's a Justin OG.

A complete mess!



Screenshot 2026-02-01 10.48.49.png

I said it was a Justin OG during the game.
Had it not hit his back it it’s not as bad as it looked, DCL was impending Darlow and he punched the ball out, possibly for another corner
As it turned out, it made no difference apart from from the hope that a 0-1 HT score is potentially salvageable.

[weasel]

I think too many of us forget just how hard it is stay competive week in week out.

Farke tried something yesterday to try and bridge the huge void there is in quality between the two squads.

It didn't come off and we got spanked. He will feel hurt and want to avoid it happening again.
But that is no guarantee that it will.
There are are weaknesses in our squad that we will have to live with.


What I find funny is that we all knew there would be days like this when we promoted.

Well maybe not all of us.

The line-up yesterday was the same as the line-up v Newcastle barring Darlow for Perri and Justin for Bijol. I saw the line-up in the Newcastle match and thought it was very defensive yet we took the game to Newcastle and scored 3 goals - and if Justin's late header goes in we win the game - small margins. As such no matter what formation is picked games don't always go as plan. We never really got a foothold in the Arsenal game whereas against Newcastle we kept going in front. Both games we concede four. If Ampadu's shot flies in then who knows maybe we lose 4-3 to Arsenal in another topsy turvy game.

Like you say it is, for us this season, all about trying ways to try to close the gap, surprise the opposition. Sometimes it will work but most of the time it is going to fail such is the gap between the rich teams and the poorer teams. The hope was more about Arsenal being in a poor run and being vulnerable rather than us being the better team. The reality though is that if they click they will beat us.

[The Subhuman]

We look weak down our left because mist teams are stronger down their right. Gudds has been exellent defensively this season as has Struijk, probably better (and busier) than Rodon/Bogle.

We're not being targetted down our right it's just teams playing to their strengths

[1964white]

WTF were Struijk & Bogle doing here?

[Cowboy Dan]

With Calvert--Lewin infront of Darlow, he hasn't got a clear punch on it with the ball hitting Justin's back who was also on the near post.

So neither Justin, Calvert-Lewin & Darlow managed to clear the cross away efficiently.

Darlow can't take all the blame, he is impeded by his own players.

I reckon it's a Justin OG.

A complete mess!

DCL would have cleared it if Darlow hadn't come over the top of him and punched it into his own net.
He wasn't impeded by his own players, he chose to go there and impede DCL. Not sure what Justin supposedly did wrong either?
Darlow is 100% to blame.
It amazes me how some people were falling over themselves to criticise Perri for the slightest thing, but will make all kinds of excuses for Darlow's clown shows.

[1964white]

Struijk with his arms out in despair after making being done for pace, making a rash challenge & not stopping the cross into the box, whilst Bogle is the wrong side of his man as he attempts to climb all over Gyökeres.

Another sublime cross into our box, once again.

[CHAPELALLMAN]

And no Arsenal players near them Leon.

Suicidal defending from the three of them.

If we're saying Arsenal are a better football team, with better quality players and we're just looking to contain them. Then the fundamental requirement is that we at least get the basics of defending correct.

Handing them two goals for starters just gave them free rein to take their time and pull us apart at a nice relaxed pace.

I don't think they exerted themselves all afternoon. Really disappointing Leon.

Our two worst performances have come against them, and their two easiest matches this season have come against us.

We gave them it twice on a plate.

At Forest and Sunderland they had to work their nuts off just to get a draw, and that's what I was expecting yesterday.

to have three of our players go for the ball at the near post, with no Arsenal player really challenging, and yet it ends up in the net is pathetic, even at schoolboy level. This is ABC defensive stuff - absolute basics, and these guys are on hundreds of thousands a week.

[Volvo Jack]

Watching Match of The Day Chelsea v West ham. Summerville left United and went away from the Championship, looks like he may be back there again
Scored a cracking goal.

[CHAPELALLMAN]

One consolation though - we don't lose games by 7-0 or 6-2 these days, even on really bad days.

[weasel]

Struijk gets found out when coming up against really top class opponents. It's not by chance that we have conceded so many down our left. And how many chances has he missed at the other end this season ? When you have CBs who aren't capable of stopping crosses coming in then you have a big problem.

Some fans are still wedded to him mentally because he's the last player left of an era under a former manager, and they can't let him go.....

Some fans support whoever wears the shirt, acknowledge their weaknesses and also their strengths. If we were to sell Struyjk we maybe get £15m to £20m. To improve on him how much does it cost unless we are to find some unknwon superstar playing in the Bolivian 3rd Division?

[CHAPELALLMAN]

Some fans support whoever wears the shirt, acknowledge their weaknesses and also their strengths. If we were to sell Struyjk we maybe get £15m to £20m. To improve on him how much does it cost unless we are to find some unknwon superstar playing in the Bolivian 3rd Division?

I support the club and the team - not necessarily some individual players if I don't think they are good enough. Are you an Okafor fan then ? These guys earn several million quid a year, so I don't care if their feelings get hurt from time to time. Pay me that kind of money and I will take any kind criticism that can be thrown at me. The football world exists in a molly coddled ivory tower sometimes - totally out of touch with the realities of life. What would a Ukrainian civilian shivering to death and being bombed every night make of a footballer earning millions a year getting upset about a bit of criticism regarding his last performance ?

[1964white]

A tiring Struijk turned inside out.

Even their fresh subs were too good for us.

[White Riot]

One consolation though - we don't lose games by 7-0 or 6-2 these days, even on really bad days.

Arsenal could and should have had a few more imo Chapel.

We were all over the shop in that second half.

[weasel]

With Calvert--Lewin infront of Darlow, he hasn't got a clear punch on it with the ball hitting Justin's back who was also on the near post.

So neither Justin, Calvert-Lewin & Darlow managed to clear the cross away efficiently.

Darlow can't take all the blame, he is impeded by his own players.

I reckon it's a Justin OG.

A complete mess!



Screenshot 2026-02-01 10.48.49.png

I have complete sympathy for Darlow. Not sure whether he didn't call or DCL didn't hear it or DCL decided to jump anyway but DCL really did make it virtually impossible for Darlow to get to the ball properly. In that situation once you hear your keeper shout you need to get out of the way and trust him.

Just a shambles really but I wouldn't be dropping Darlow. The only positive is perhaps that it happened in this match where the result was probably not affected by it.

[CHAPELALLMAN]

I have complete sympathy for Darlow. Not sure whether he didn't call or DCL didn't hear it or DCL decided to jump anyway but DCL really did make it virtually impossible for Darlow to get to the ball properly. In that situation once you hear your keeper shout you need to get out of the way and trust him.

Just a shambles really but I wouldn't be dropping Darlow. The only positive is perhaps that it happened in this match where the result was probably not affected by it.

They were standing so close that DCL's back was just about touching Darlow's chest, so if DCL didn't hear any shout he needs a hearing aid.

[weasel]

It was a very poor performance yesterday but using it as a microcosm to reflect on the season at large and last summers transfer window is unfair. It will be a while before we can truly compete with Arsenal, it’s not like the late 90s, the gap now is absolutely huge and it’s going to take 10 years of continued premier league residency to even get close to the best teams - bad day for the lads, poor goals conceded under constant pressure and questions need to be asked but don’t throw the baby out with the bath water, we are still well in with a chance to stay up and that’s all we need this season.

Well said. I think some fans think we are further ahead than we are. Against City and Liverpool we could just have easily been thumped 4, 5 6-0. Against City they took their foot of the pedal, 2-0 and crusing and gifted us a way back in with their comical defending which basically gave DCL an open goal. Against Liverpool again 2-0 down and not in the game and they gift us a very soft penalty. Even against Chelsea we were 2-1 up but hanging on a bit, Cole Palmer misses a sitter and then we get gifted our 3rd goal. That is for me the key factor in matches against the richer teams. You need those moments of luck, moments that turn a game round.

[1964white]

And this against a team that is number one for set piece delivery and scoring from, particularly corners. So, it isn't like we wouldn't expect this from Arsenal, we had the same exact problem down at their place.

What did we learn and improve from the first match?

James, the quality of those Arsenal crosses were sublime, very difficult for us defend.

What could we learn to stop them? apart from attempting the ball coming into the box, point is the gooners have the quality to beat our defenders with one stride & whip in a delightful cross.

[1964white]

Too many players at the near post, creating congestion and actually impeding our keeper. Three of our own players all going for the ball, but no Arsenal players, and it ends up in the net !

Indeed, that's why I'm not totally blaming Darlow for the goal, there wasn't much he could do with it, tbh.