Leeds 1-4 Arsenal: Gabriel Martinelli at the double as Gunners take all three points at Elland Road

Gabriel Martinelli scored twice as Arsenal thrashed Leeds 4-1 on Saturday night.

The only Premier League Saturday fixture to survive the Covid outbreak was one-way traffic in the first half and Arsenal could have had double their three-goal lead at the break.

The goals came from two fine finishes from Martinelli, the first fired into the roof of the net and then a neat dink over Illan Meslier, before Bakary Saka's deflected effort effectively ended the contest three minutes before the break.

Though Arsenal seemed more than content to play the game out, Leeds were far better in the second half and got some reward when Raphinha scored a penalty for the second game in succession after Ben White fouled Joe Gelhardt.

With six minutes remaining substitute Emile Smith Rowe, having initially disrupted a Leeds move, was played in neatly by Martin Odegaard, and finished neatly to restore the three-goal advantage.

The win lifts Arsenal four points clear of West Ham in the fourth Champions League berth.

There will be a lot of focus on how bad Leeds are looking defensively at present and how Marcelo Bielsa's idealogue tendencies are costing the Whites. Which is absolutely true, but in a week where so many games were called off, it is hard not to be sympathetic to Leeds playing three matches in seven days with a depleted squad. A heartbreaking end to a barnstorming encounter with Chelsea and a demoralising drubbing at Manchester City were a poor preparation for this clash and the home reverse was no surprise.

Leeds are now in a position of having played more games than the teams around them in the relegation fight. Watford (with two games in hand) and Burnley (three) have the opportunity to jump over Bielsa's side. With Liverpool to come on Boxing Day and the in-form Aston Villa two days later, it will not get much easier for the West Yorkshire outfit.

The Leeds defenders' tactics at times seemed all at sea, but they did not know how to deal with Martinelli whose movement, along with Saka and Lacazette, had the hosts chasing shadows. While his fellow forwards were a little wasteful with their finishing, the Brazilian was pinpoint. His approach play was just as smooth and Saka should have scored after a fine through-ball from him in the second half. He really is turning into one of the dangerous forwards in the league and justifying the high hopes Arsenal fans have for him.

Leeds: Meslier 7, Drameh 5, Koch 5, Ayling 6, Dallas 6; Forshaw 5, Klich 6; Harrison 5, Roberts 5, Raphinha 7; Gelhardt 6.

Subs: Summerville 6 , Greenwood 6, McCarron 6.

Arsenal: Ramsdale 6; Tomiyasu 6, White 6, Gabriel 6, Tierney 6; Partey 7, Xhaka 7; Saka 7, Odegaard 8, Martinelli 9*; Lacazette 7.

Subs: Smith Rowe 8, Tavares 6.

16' GOAL FOR ARSENAL! Xhaka goes down on the edge of the box but the ball then falls to Lacazette who plays in Martinelli and he slams high into the net.

28' GOAL FOR ARSENAL! A Leeds counter-attack breaks down and Xhaka plays in Martinelli who dinks the ball over the onrushing keeper.

42' GOAL FOR ARSENAL! Leeds are gifting Arsenal chance after chance and on this occasion Saka seemed to have missed his chance but the ball fell back to him and his shot deflected off Klich to give the Gunners a third.

74' PENALTY FOR LEEDS! Gelhardt wins a penalty after White takes him out after good work from Somerville and Klich.

75' GOAL FOR LEEDS! The Brazilian puts it away with aplomb smashing it into the top corner while also sending Ramsdale the wrong way.

84' GOAL FOR ARSENAL! Smith Rowe first intercepts a Leeds pass near the halfway line then races onto Odegaard's neat through-ball to fire another in for Arsenal.