Arsenal vs Leeds United player ratings: Odegaard 8, Nketiah 8; Meslier 4, Ayling 1

Gunners seal 2-1 win to boost top-four hopes while Yorkshiremen drop into relegation zone

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Arsenal secured a 2-1 win over 10-man Leeds United on Sunday to boost their hopes of securing a place in the Premier League top four.

Leeds, who dropped into the bottom three after this defeat, contributed to their own downfall with a dire first-half performance that saw captain Luke Ayling sent-off for a dreadful tackle on Gabriel Martinelli.

Jesse Marsch's side gifted Arsenal their opening goal when goalkeeper Illian Meslier's loose touch was pounced on by Eddie Nketiah whose challenge resulted in the home side going in front after just five minutes.

Five minutes later, it was two when Nketiah finished well after being picked out in the box by Martinelli following a flowing Arsenal move.

Things went from bad to worse just before the half-hour mark when Ayling flew into a needless two-footed challenge on Martinelli that was initially given as a yellow but then upgraded to red after referee Chris Kavanagh was asked to review the incident on the pitch-side monitor.

The avalanche of goals that looked likely never materialised, though, and Leeds managed to pull a goal back with their first shot on target in the 66th minute when Junior Firpo flicked on a corner and Diego Llorente finished at the back post.

Arsenal saw out the rest of the match with relative ease, albeit with a few nervy moments, to seal a victory that leaves them fourth in the table, four points ahead Tottenham in fifth. The two North London rivals face-off on Thursday.

As for Leeds, an undisciplined performance saw them drop to third bottom, level on points with Burnley in 17th, while Everton are up to 16th thanks to their win at Leicester.

You can see the player ratings from the match at the Emirates Stadium. To view the next image, click on the arrows or swipe if on a mobile device.

Updated: May 09, 2022, 2:16 AM