Report: Arsenal 4-2 Leeds United
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang showed Leeds United little love on Valentine’s Day as his first Premier League hat-trick led Arsenal to a 4-2 triumph.
Making his first league start since January 18, Aubameyang put Arsenal 2-0 up by the 41st minute on Sunday and then rounded off his hat-trick early in the second half.
Aubameyang’s second goal marked his 200th across 369 appearances in Europe’s “top five” leagues, with Hector Bellerin making it 3-0 four minutes later.
Arsenal went some way to undoing their hard work as goals from Pascal Struijk and Helder Costa gave Leeds hope, but Mikel Arteta’s side ultimately held firm.
Patrick Bamford had the game’s first meaningful attempt when he headed straight at Bernd Leno, but where the Leeds forward failed, Aubameyang showed no such profligacy.
Having been given space and time to square up Luke Ayling, Aubameyang dispatched a drilled finish into the bottom-left corner, though Illan Meslier could have done better.
Arsenal looked set to have the chance to double their lead when Liam Cooper bundled into Bukayo Saka in the box, only for referee Stuart Attwell to overturn his decision to award a penalty after checking the pitchside monitor.
Yet Leeds did not capitalise on their luck, Meslier getting himself into a tangle when he dallied on the ball and felled Saka, with Aubameyang slamming home from 12 yards.
It soon got worse for the visitors – Saka toying with their defence before Dani Ceballos slotted through for Bellerin to arrow in at Meslier’s near post.
The contest appeared over two minutes after the restart when Aubameyang turned in Emile Smith Rowe’s cross-shot to complete his hat-trick.
Struijk’s fine header ruined Arsenal’s clean sheet and when Costa thumped in Leeds had hope of an unlikely comeback.
Bamford had a penalty appeal turned down as Leeds rallied further but Marcelo Bielsa’s team could not forge a memorable turnaround, with Aubameyang denied a fourth by the crossbar.
