LONDON -- The Premier League's return after three weeks saw champions Arsenal come from behind to beat Leeds United 2-1 at the Emirates Stadium.
It was the first game since Manchester City's guilty verdict over breaching the league's financial rules and despite them being the Gunners' major rivals over the past few seasons, there was little reference to in terms of protest or banners in the stands.
Arsenal made a sluggish start against an in-forrm Leeds side and took more than 20 minutes to register their first shot on target. Leeds had the better chances and had a goal for Noah Okafor ruled out for offside in the first half.
- Arsenal vs Leeds: Match stats, team lineups
- Arsenal 2-1. Leeds: As it happened
David Raya was kept busy in goal but the Spaniard was caught off his line after a sweeping Leeds move saw James Justin fire the visitors into a deserved lead with a well-taken goal.
The goal woke up the home side and supporters; they were level within seven minutes through Riccardo Calafiori.
New signing Bruno Guimarães came off the bench soon after the hour-mark and within minutes of coming on, scored his first goal for Arsenal at the Emirates. It was a well-worked move by the Gunners, with Declan Rice's neat backheel flick setting up the Brazilian to slot into the bottom corner.
The Arsenal comeback took the wind out of Leeds' sails and they did little to dent the hosts' defence and in the final 20 minutes. It was a spirited performance from Daniel Farke's side, but it wasn't enough to prevent their first loss of the season.
Has Arteta lost trust in Gyokeres?
The leadup to the match had been dominated by discussion over whom Mikel Arteta will pick as his starting striker -- Viktor Gyökeres or Mikel Merino.
As it turned out, he kept faith with Kai Havertz despite him withdrawing from the Germany squad due to injury. Havertz, to his credit, appeared to have completely recovered from his hamstring issue and was arguably Arsenal's best attacker in the first half. However, that was a low bar considering how sluggish the Gunners looked.
But, Arteta's decision to start Havertz was another example of how he appears to have lost confidence in Gyökeres. The Swede looked primed for his first Premier League start of the season, especially on the back of his recent goalscoring exploits in the Nations League. He came on in place of Havertz soon after the hour mark as the Gunners searched for a winner.
While his fellow substitute Guimarães made an instant impact with his goal, the Swede's influence was minimal. The fact that Arsenal were holding onto a lead for the final 20 minutes also meant the service that came his way was minimal.
He had a chance to poke home a cutback from Rice from a yard outside goal, but the ball just went past him and hit his leg limply in the ensuing melee before being cleared away. Afterwards, he rounded goalkeeper James Trafford bit bizarrely neither shot, or passed to teammates, with an open goal gaping. Cue moans from the Arsenal crowd: it felt emblematic of his recent woes.
Arsenal return to winning ways, but look nervy again
The win over Leeds took Arsenal level on point with leaders Man City on 15 points. However, in this period between City's guilty verdict and their sanctions being announced, it's tough to make sense of the Premier League table and what it means.
For the time being, however, the messaging from Mikel Arteta to his players will be to treat it as business as usual. The length of the international break and the seismic nature of the City charges mean it's easy to forget that the Gunners lost 3-0 to Brighton in their last league outing.
The fears of that wobble carrying over into Saturday's game grew after a shaky first-half showing, and the groans in the stands grew.
"Take the risk man, take the risk," a fan implored at the players near the break. The angst in the ground felt reminiscent to how it was during the crunch end of their title-winning campaign.
So, it isn't a co-incindence that the goals in the second half came from Calafiori and Guimarães, the two players in the Arsenal squad who rarely select the safe option.
It wasn't a convincing performance from the Gunners, especially while going forward, but after a three week break all that matters is getting three points.
Bruno provides Arsenal spark
If the 'Bruno 39' jerseys scattered all over the stands or the "Brunoo" chants that greeted his arrival weren't an indication enough of the Brazilian's popularity in the fanbase, then the way he was enveloped by fans after his goal was.
Amazingly, this was the Brazilian's first game at the Emirates since joining the club this summer. And within eight minutes of stepping onto the pitch, he had his first goal there.
The former Newcastle captain immediately raised the team's intensity with his driving runs and his finish for the winner was ice cool. Guimarães' excursions for Brazil over the international break took him to Australia and India, and the airline miles he racked up would have influenced Arteta's decision to leave him on the bench. On the basis of Saturday's showing, it's unlikely that will be the case often this season.