LEEDS -- Whatever fate awaits Arsenal in this Premier League title race, they are determined to do it their way. Much of the fallout from last weekend's 3-2 defeat to Manchester United centered on suggestions the Gunners have to do something different from here to win their first league crown since 2004.
Mikel Arteta spoke of a clear-the-air meeting a day later in which they vowed to "live and play with enjoyment ... courage ... and conviction they are going to win it."
Dropping captain Martin degaard against Leeds hinted at something different. But in the end, they thrashed Leeds United 4-0 on Saturday with a performance that was quintessentially Arteta's Arsenal
One goal from a recycled corner, another direct from a corner, a Viktor Gykeres close-range finish and substitute Gabriel Jesus' late strike secured a win which extends their lead at the top of the table back to seven points.
It wasn't necessarily "fun" -- the football was one again formulaic -- but it was Arsenal at their effective best. They strangled the life out of Leeds and their vociferous Elland Road crowd with a level of control they only momentarily threatened to relinquish as the home side tried to rouse themselves early in the second half.
There was courage on display and they certainly had conviction. But significantly, this was Arsenal being Arsenal. There was no timidity or self-doubt. This is how Arteta believes Arsenal can win the league: dominate possession and territory, extract an advantage from set-pieces and send on the "finishers" to complete the job.
The combination was a hugely impressive response to their winless three-game run. No wonder Arteta was delighted.
"The mentality is good," said Arteta. "I mentioned it to you, to play with that level of enjoyment about where we are and then with the conviction to believe in what we do, how good we are and that we can beat any opponent.
"We certainly did that. And then you have to show the quality to do it in this league to prove it and it came out in great ways from different ways as well."
The first hour was the most fiercely contested part of this game and during that period, Arsenal's physical power and dead-ball prowess made the difference. Noni Madueke only started this game because Bukayo Saka suffered a hip injury in the warm-up, but he was their most effective threat.
His 27th-minute corner was cleared, but Arsenal worked the ball back out to the England international, who produced a superb delivery which Martn Zubimendi glanced into the net.
The noise in this famous old ground rarely subsided in the opening 45 minutes but there was an audible hush whenever Arsenal won a corner. Perhaps they knew what was coming.
The Gunners' seventh corner of the half was whipped into the near post with such ferocity by Madueke that Leeds goalkeeper Karl Darlow could only rise above the gaggle of players in front of him and punch the ball in his own net.
Leeds boss Daniel Farke made a double change at the break and they began to enjoy more of the ball, but degaard was excellent when he came on alongside Gabriel Martinelli after 61 minutes. His cute pass released Martinelli, who found a cross for Gykeres to steer home on 69 minutes, snuffing out any hope of a Leeds comeback.
Jesus added a fourth four minutes from time, collecting degaard's pass and expertly working space for himself in the box before finishing low into the net.
Leeds ended with just three shots and an expected goals tally of 0.15 -- the third-lowest figure of any team Arsenal have played across all competitions this season.
This defensive resilience was the foundation of their ascent to the top of the table in the first place and it returned emphatically here.
"[That control] is something that we want," Arteta said. "You always have an opponent in front of you who is going to test that and you have to execute the actions and be very, very consistent if you don't want to concede anything. Really impressive because it is a really tough team to do that and between all of us, we did it."
Farke could not argue: "They were on it from the first to the last second. Whatever we did, they always had an answer. We were not really able to create chances."
Arsenal's attacking cohesion remains unconvincing. "Own goal" briefly drew level as their top scorer in the league this season before Gykeres' intervention put him clear on six. After wasting a glorious chance when clean through at 2-0, he continues to face a battle to justify his 63.5 million fee, but his goal will help.
Collectively, Arsenal recovered their power and poise to reassert themselves in the title race with Manchester City facing Tottenham and Aston Villa hosting Brentford on Sunday.
Arteta talked about "bringing the temperature down" in his meeting with the players on Monday. But nothing will have done it like winning so emphatically as this, especially as they reinforced their own identity while doing so.
Over to you, City.
