Arteta sees plenty to be excited by after Arsenal hammer Leeds

Arsenal’s 5-0 hammering of Leeds United left Mikel Arteta with plenty to be excited about.

The Gunners romped to a huge win at Emirates Stadium, where Viktor Gyokeres opened his Premier League account with a double.

Jurrien Timber also netted twice, with Bukayo Saka on target too.

Despite injury concerns for Saka and captain Martin Odegaard, who were both forced off with their issues, Arteta was full of excitement at what is to come from the Gunners this season.

He told Sky Sports: “A lot to be excited by. A really positive afternoon to start the season off at home. You could feel the energy immediately, that it had gone up a level and that is what we were looking for.

“The team played really well, really confident. They created a lot and did not concede anything. Five goals and a clean sheet is a really good start.

“We have the ability to score in various ways. Very happy for Viktor scoring his first two goals and Jurrien too for his two goals after such a long injury and hard work.”

Arsenal 5-0 Leeds

Arsenal enjoyed a fantastic 5-0 win over Leeds United, with Viktor Gyökeres scoring his first two competitive goals for his new club and 15-year-old Max Dowman making his Premier League debut. pic.twitter.com/VZ6Kdf2uay

— Opta Analyst (@OptaAnalyst) August 23, 2025

The excitement levels were lifted before kick-off as Eberechi Eze was officially unveiled as an Arsenal player following his move from Crystal Palace.

And they went up another notch in the second half as Max Dowman came on to make his debut, with the 15-year-old – now the second-youngest player in Premier League history – winning the penalty from which Gyokeres doubled his tally in second-half stoppage time.

Arteta labelled Dowman’s debut as “exciting”, but urged a cautious approach with the youngster.

He added: “We have to gather all the information. It’s how he reacts and deals with the situation. What his team-mates think about him, which is clear, because they kept on passing him the ball.

“It is great to be able to change the energy in the stadium by bringing him on and he had an impact. He won a penalty on his debut at the Emirates, that’s incredible.”

Arsenal are now unbeaten in their last 43 Premier League home games against newly promoted sides, equalling the competition’s record set by Chelsea (also 43 games between November 2001 and November 2015).

“A special day,” said Timber. “A nice first home game of the season. You could feel the energy of the crowd. The team played well and a clean sheet as well. But two goals and an assist and a clean sheet, I’m going to enjoy this day.”

On Dowman, Timber added: “I think everyone can see the potential Max has. Playing against grown men like, this is incredible. It’s a joy to watch, for me it’s a joy to watch. I hope he’s going to have some amazing years with us.”