Leeds United were handed a reality check at Elland Road as Arsenal coasted to a 4–0 victory, extending their lead at the top of the Premier League to seven points.
A first-half goal from Martin Zubimendi, followed by a costly own goal from Karl Darlow, gave the visitors a commanding two-goal advantage by the interval.
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There were brief signs of resistance from Leeds after the restart, but Viktor Gyokeres struck on 69 minutes to put the result beyond doubt, before Gabriel Jesus added a late fourth to underline Arsenal’s dominance.
However, amid the ruins of the performance against Arsenal and Daniel Farke’s concerns, a Leeds star may have a major reason to rekindle his career at Elland Road in the coming weeks.
Daniel Farke hands Leeds United a lifeline to Sean Longstaff
Leeds signed Longstaff from Newcastle United last summer, and his performances early in the season made him an early fan favourite.
However, the midfielder picked up an injury towards the end of November, and he was on the sidelines as Leeds turned their season with a string of positive results.
He returned to the squad earlier this month, but he has struggled to get back into the team and has only been an option from the bench since recovering from his injury.
However, he could have a chance to cement his place in the team again after Daniel Farke made the big decision to replace Ilian Gruev with Longstaff at the break in the 4-0 defeat against Arsenal.
The Bulgarian midfielder struggled to keep up with Arsenal’s intensity, and he was hooked off at the break to add more experience in the form of Longstaff.
It is easy to question why Longstaff was not favoured from the start against league leaders, given his Premier League experience and the physicality he brings to the team.
Chance for Longstaff to again become a certainty in the team
Longstaff made ten straight Premier League starts before sustaining the hamstring injury in November, which kept him out of action for over a month.
He was one of the first names on the team sheet, and the midfielder added a different dimension to the Leeds team with his physicality and Premier League experience.
However, the formation changed when he was out, and Ilia Gruev’s performances meant that the former Newcastle star was not getting his opportunities.
But that could now change after Gruev was found wanting against Arsenal, and Longstaff looked solid in the middle in the second half at Elland Road.
The Leeds ace now has an opportunity to regain his importance in the team and reassert his quality in the coming weeks.
There is a real chance that Longstaff will start against Nottingham Forest on Friday night as he looks to prove himself again at Elland Road this season.