Bukayo Saka was forced out of Arsenal's starting lineup after picking up an injury during the warm-up at Elland Road on Saturday. The winger was initially named in the team but withdrew before kick-off, with Noni Madueke taking his place.
Mikel Arteta confirmed that Saka felt a 'little niggle' and was not comfortable to start, with tests planned for tomorrow. 'He had a little niggle and he wasn't comfortable to start the game so we made a decision straight away,' the Arsenal manager said.
Despite the setback, Arsenal delivered a dominant 4-0 victory. Martin Zubimendi headed in Madueke's cross for the opener, before a Madueke corner was turned into his own net by Leeds goalkeeper Karl Darlow. Viktor Gyokeres added a third from Gabriel Martinelli's cross, and Gabriel Jesus completed the scoring late on.
The win moved Arsenal seven points clear at the top of the Premier League, with Manchester City and Aston Villa both in action on Sunday. Arteta praised his side's mentality, saying: 'It was a really impressive performance... We needed that win and I loved the way the team set up.'
After taking just two points from their previous three league games, Declan Rice stressed the importance of maintaining momentum. 'We can control what we can control and we have to keep winning games,' he said. 'Every game is a cup final. We have a long four months ahead but we are prepared.'
