Arsenal injury curse strikes again as they smash Leeds | OneFootball

Arsenal marked their first home game of the Premier League season with a resounding 5-0 win over Leeds United, but injuries to Martin Ødegaard and Bukayo Saka soured what should have been a celebratory afternoon at the Emirates.

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Ødegaard’s setback arrived early.

Just 15 minutes into the match, the captain landed awkwardly and immediately looked in pain. Although he attempted to play on, it became clear he was struggling, and by the 38th minute he was substituted for Ethan Nwaneri.

The Norwegian appeared unable to lift his right arm properly as he left the pitch, suggesting a shoulder problem that casts doubt over his availability for next weekend’s trip to Anfield.

If that was not enough to concern Mikel Arteta, Saka’s withdrawal in the second half deepened the sense of deja vu.

The winger sat down, pointing to his left hamstring shortly before the hour and was replaced by Leandro Trossard.

He walked off slowly, leaving supporters fearing a repeat of the hamstring injury to his right leg that cost him months of last season. After the game, Mikel Arteta said that he hadn’t spoken to the doctors but that the injury was ‘significant’.

Saka had already been on the scoresheet, striking in first-half stoppage time to give Arsenal a 2-0 lead at the break.

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On the pitch, Arsenal’s dominance was absolute.

Jurriën Timber opened the scoring in the 34th minute and added another 12 minutes into the second half.

Saka’s goal came in between, before Gyökeres opened his Arsenal account in the 48th minute with few jinks in the box and a powerful low shot through a lot of legs. The Swede then converted a penalty in stoppage time, awarded after 15-year-old debutant Max Dowman was tripped in the box.

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Gyökeres, who has been handed responsibility from the spot for Arsenal this season, made no mistake, sealing his brace and completing the rout.

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Leeds were outplayed throughout, struggling to retain possession or test Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya beyond one effort from a corner in the first half that produced a good save. Arsenal’s defensive pairing of William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhães, supported by Calafiori and Timber, ensured a comfortable clean sheet, with Rice and Zubimendi controlling the midfield from the outset.

The introduction of Dowman with half an hour still to play provided a extra bright moment beyond the scoreline. The teenager, promoted from the academy, showed little sign of nerves and capped his debut by winning the penalty in front of jubilant Arsenal fans, just as he had done on pre-season tour with grown men struggling to work out how to stop him.

He is a player ready for further involvement this season.

There was also the presence of new signing Eberechi Eze, who was unveiled at the stadium before the match but did not feature in the squad.

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With Ødegaard and Saka both potential absentees, his importance may become immediate rather than gradual.

Arteta now faces the prospect of preparing for Liverpool without his captain and his most dangerous forward, while Kai Havertz is also out and Ben White is struggling.

The win over Leeds was decisive, the performances of Timber and Gyökeres superb, and Dowman’s debut memorable.

Yet, as supporters filed out of the Emirates, conversation centred less on goals and more on injuries, a reminder that Arsenal’s ambitions remain vulnerable to the same old curse.