Leeds United vs Arsenal. 14/10/95

Leeds United (0) 0 - 3 (1) Arsenal

Elland Road, Sat 14th October 1995

(two reports)

Teams
Arsenal: Seaman, Dixon, Adams, Bould, Winterburn, Keown, Parlour,
         Helder, Merson, Bergkamp, Wright
         Subs: Hartson, Jensen, Bartram 

Leeds  : Lukic, Kelly, Wetherall, Pemberton, Dorigo, Couzens, Palmer, 
         Tinkler, Speed, Yeboah, Deane
         Subs: Wallace (Tinkler 60), Whelan, Beesley

Result  : Leeds                 (0) 0   Arsenal                (1) 3
Scorers:                                Merson 43, Bergkamp 56, Wright 86

Bookings: Pemberton                     Adams, Parlour, Winterburn
                                     
Att     : 38552
Referee : P Jones (Loughborough)

A bit late, I know, but given the result and the fact that no-one else has done a full report, I thought I might as well make the effort. Mind you, I have been away for a couple of days so my memory of events may be a little cloudy and inaccurate. However, I do remember leaving the ground thinking I'd just witnessed the best Arsenal performance in a couple of years. Though on reflection, perhaps Leeds' display did flatter us a bit, and they certainly missed McAllister. But I don't think that should detract too much from the manner in which the Gunners took advantage and absolutely tore Leeds apart in the second half.

The first half was fairly evenly matched, and had it continued that way after the break and the score stayed 1-0 I would have said it was merely a good Arsenal away performance. Leeds started off with a bit of a flurry and were getting some joy with their early tactic of hitting high balls out to Speed on the left and letting him beat Dixon in the air. However, there was ultimately no end result from any of these as Arsenal gradually gained more of a grip on the game, and the home side's best early chance came when Yeboah ran onto a flick on down the middle. On his supposedly better left foot he volleyed well wide from about 15 yards.

Seaman later made a great save from a deflected shot from outside the area, while at the other end Lukic had to be equally sharp to get down to a snap 20 yarder from Wright. Yeboah mishit another volley from outside the area, and Speed I think got his head to the shot (from what must have been an offside position) to force Seaman into another save. Meanwhile at the other end Bergkamp did some good work tight to the goalline on the right and squeezed in a shot from an acute angle which Lukic had to beat away from his near post.

Then, two minutes from half time came the goal which possibly turned the match in Arsenal's favour. Dear old Johnny's kicking still hasn't improved and he mishit a back pass from Palmer along the ground and it reached Merson just outside the centre circle. His first touch took it forward a few yards and allowed him to then whack it straight back towards goal from 35-40 yards and Lukic was wrong footed as he dashed back.

Joy amongst the Arsenal end was mildly dampened as the halftime whistle went, because Wright lay prostrate following another crunching tackle from behind from Pemberton, and had to be carried off by Seaman and Gary Lewin.

However, he reappeared for the start of the second half and didn't seem to suffer any ill effects. Arsenal were already starting to get a grip on the game when a long ball forward by Merson beat the Leeds offside trap and left Bergkamp with only Lukic to beat. However, the ball was bouncing a bit awkwardly and his attempt to lift it over the outrushing keeper also cleared the crossbar.

The Leeds fans' taunts of "What a waste of money" were silenced moments later. Bould made a late charge forward at a free kick, and Merson lifted the kick high to the far post to find him and Bouldy nodded back into the middle. There, under challenge from a defender Bergkamp cleverly flicked it on with the outside of his right foot to beat Lukic and steer the ball inside the opposite post. Cue the gleeful ironic Gooner chants, "What a waste of money!"

After that as Leeds were forced to press forward in search of a goal, they left large gaps at the back and their offside trap went completely to pieces as Bergkamp, Helder, Wright and Merson ran riot. Completely clear on one occasion Wright seemd a bit too casual with his attempt to chip Lukic, and I'm not sure he didn't think he was offside.

Helder was causing consistent problems down the left and a couple of times was unlucky as he cut back inside and played one-twos with Bergkamp and Wright in the box. He also switched sides and came close to scoring as he dribbled in from the right, sending a defender the wrong way before stabbing a shot just wide of the far post. Late in the match he reprised the trick he did against Ipswich last year, where he is shepherded towards the corner flag but then flicks the ball behind him with his left foot to send it along the goal line. It didn't quite come off this time because he just ran it over the line. Still looked good though.

Even Parlour had a volley from outside the area which only cleared the bar by a couple of yards, and the 3rd goal when it came, was the sweetest of icings on the cake. Bergkamp knocked a ball in to Wright which he did well to take into his path on the run. He then checked back and from the edge of the area chipped a beautifully flighted ball over Lukic and just inside the far post. Sheer delirium in the away end.

At the other end, Leeds' desperate efforts to pull back a goal nearly paid off on a couple of occasions. Seaman made a good backpedalling save just managing to push a looping header onto the top of the bar, and Keown managed to clear the rebound by hitting an attempted overhead kick against himself and back into Seaman's arms. Late in the game Deane headed just wide when he perhaps should have scored, and also headed a less obvious chance straight at Seaman.

It was an outstanding all round display from Arsenal, with every player contributing well. Even Keown, who during the first half I thought was the difference between what was a good and what could have been a very good Arsenal display, in the second half was playing some nice balls forward and down the line. Parlour had a superb game in the middle (though he picked up his 5th booking of the season - one more he he'll be suspended for 3 games), and as someone else mentioned Merson was chasing everywhere and tackling as never before.

Helder, Bergkamp and Wright created havoc in the Leeds defence in the second half. Bergkamp looked really at home and confident, and what he is so good at is dropping back off the defender to receive short balls in from midfield to then turn and play the ball forward for Wrighty's or whoever's runs into the space thus created.

I think if I was forced to choose a man of the match though, it would be Steve Bould. He was outstanding in defence in the first half, and then made the crucial second goal. The rest of the defence weren't bad either, and I can't wait for Saturday now to see whether they can keep it up against Villa.

report from Derek Brownjohn

First goal in the first half when Lukic mis-hit a clearance from the edge of the box to Merson, a long way out, who drove a powerful shot which Lukic reached but could not keep out. We sang "Merson from the half-way line", fitting retribution for the Leeds' faithful's earlier rendition of "Nayim from the half-way line."

Second half, Bergkamp turned in a Helder cross with a neat flick with the outside of his foot. Cue Rapture at the Arsenal end, (we filled the away end,) and Arsenal went close several more times before Wright chipped Lukic from the edge of the box with a sublime curling shot which floated gently into the angle of post and bar, just dropping enough to nestle softly in the back of the net.

Contrary to the info slips from the Yorkshire fuzz, we were not kept in at the end, so after pausing briefly to hear the Spurs result (they lost har-har:-) we were off back down the M1.

Lots of fun in the Peacock before the game, loads of gooners, and possibly the worst pub-food I've ever ingested, though the Guinness was passable.

Arsenal go third in the table. Not one player had a poor game, Parlour was magnifico in the middle and Keowns distribution was better than usual. Helder worked hard and was always willing to have a go, Wrighty played like he always does, Bergkamp looked classy, Merse charged forward at every opportunity.

Merse likes to score at Leeds, and I predicted him to score first, but was unable to put a bet on him as there were no bookies in the away end:-(

report by Mick Winnet

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