Auba hat-trick ends Arsenal’s losing run

Arsenal ended their three-game winless run in the Premier League after drubbing Leeds United 4-2, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang grabbing a hat-trick on Sunday evening.

The Gunners made five changes from the narrow loss against Aston Villa, as shot-stopper Bernd Leno and David Luiz both returned from suspension alongside recalls for Dani Ceballos and Aubameyang and a rare start for Martin Odegaard.

Mikel Arteta’s charges had a bright start as Aubameyang fired them ahead in the 13th minute with a low strike at the near post after a through ball by Granit Xhaka.

Arsenal thought they had won a penalty with ten minutes left of the first stanza after the referee pointed to the spot for a challenge by Liam Cooper on Bukayo Saka inside the box but after he was advised to review the incident on the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) monitor, he reversed his original decision.

However, the Gunners got a legitimate penalty six minutes before the break after goalkeeper Illan Meslier succumbed to a press by Saka, bringing him down after giving the ball away trying to play from the back and Aubameyang made it 2-0 and got his brace with unstoppable spot-kick that sent the French shot-stopper the wrong way.

Hector Bellerin made it 3-0 for Arsenal on the stroke of half-time with a thumping strike at the near post after a through ball by Ceballos inside the box.

Arsenal did not give Leeds time to settle in the second stanza as Aubameyang made it 4-0 and completed his hat-trick two minutes from the break with a diving header at the back post after a curling cross by Emile Smith Rowe.

The visitors pulled a goal back just before the hour-mark after Pascal Struijk powered home a header inside the six-yard box after a corner by Raphinha.

Helder Costa got a second goal back for Marcelo Bielsa’s charges in the 69th minute with a first-time strike that looped past Leno at the near post after a cut-back by Tyler Roberts.

Aubameyang came very close to adding for the Gunners in the last quarter of an hour with a first-time strike on the edge of the box from Xhaka’s square pass but his effort came off the crossbar, while Cedric Soares saw his strike parried away by Meslier as the Gunners held on to leapfrog Leeds into tenth on the table.

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