It was a party atmosphere at the Emirates as Arsenal celebrated the arrival of £60m signing Eberechi Eze with a dominant 5-0 victory over Leeds.
Eze was paraded before kick-off in the famous No.10 shirt, greeted by huge applause, and the energy carried into the match itself.
Jurrien Timber gave the Gunners an early lead with a powerful header from a set piece before turning provider for Bukayo Saka, who drilled home Arsenal’s second before the break.
Saka doubled his tally with a thunderous strike past Lucas Perri, though his evening ended on a sour note as he limped off injured in the second half. Captain Martin Ødegaard also departed early with a knock on his 200th appearance, adding to Mikel Arteta’s injury concerns.
The spotlight then shifted to Viktor Gyökeres, Arsenal’s £64m striker, who produced a clever solo finish to make it 3-0 before Timber added his second from another corner.
The final word belonged to 15-year-old Max Dowman, who made history with a lively debut. The teenager won a late penalty after a dazzling run, and Gyökeres converted confidently for his second of the day. Dowman became the second-youngest player to represent Arsenal, behind only Ethan Nwaneri.
Leeds offered little resistance, their only real chance falling to Pascal Struijk, whose header was kept out by David Raya.
For Arteta, it was almost a perfect afternoon: five goals, Gyökeres off the mark, and Dowman announcing himself on the Premier League stage. But the injuries to Saka and Ødegaard are a big concern, especially with Kai Havertz already sidelined.
Eze’s introduction before kick-off added to the sense of momentum. Arsenal fans will expect his creativity to bring a fresh edge to an already potent attack.
Daniel Farke’s side were well beaten from the outset and rarely threatened. New striker Noah Okafor made his debut, but Leeds’ lack of cutting edge was evident. With Newcastle up next, Leeds will need far more resilience to avoid being dragged into trouble.
