Emirates Stadium, London.
In the League Cup quarter-finals, Leeds United faced Arsenal away from home.
In the 14th minute, Leeds United's right winger, young Foden, combined with Reece James on the right wing to win a corner. Leeds took it quickly, and Croatian center-back Gvardiol leapt high in the middle of the box, planted his hands on Arsenal center-back Gabriel's shoulders, and powered a close-range header into the net.
The ball was nodded in by Gvardiol past Runarsson, giving Leeds the lead.
1-0!
On the sidelines, Arteta raised both hands and clutched the back of his head, visibly frustrated with the outcome.
But he quickly noticed the Arsenal players protesting and rushed over to join them.
Whether reasonable or not, the first move is always to protest.
Arsenal players argued that Gvardiol committed a foul during the jump, especially Gabriel, who was fuming, saying the guy was too sly, jumping early and then using his shoulders for leverage.
"Do you really think his hang time is that good?" Gabriel cried out in frustration.
Watching the slow-motion replay, it was clear Gvardiol did hang in the air a little too long.
That was because he had pressed down on Gabriel's shoulders to gain leverage.
This put Arsenal's center-back in a very awkward position.
But the referee ruled the goal valid.
This infuriated the Arsenal players, and Arteta raged at the referee from the sidelines, accusing him of favoring Leeds.
"That's a foul! A foul!" Arteta yelled at the fourth official.
In reality, he wasn't even sure if there was a foul.
Still, if the players said it was a foul, then it must be.
But on the walk back, Arteta was still cursing.
Damn it, these little monsters from Leeds are going to take off!
Tonight, just like in previous cup matches, Leeds United fielded their reserve lineup.
But the young players performed exceptionally well.
Goalkeeper: Ramsdale.
Defense: Nuno Mendes, Gvardiol, Saliba, and Reece James.
Midfield: Tchouaméni dropped deep, with Camavinga and Pedri in central roles.
Forward line: Vinicius, Alvarez, and Foden.
On the bench were even younger options like Ansu Fati, Bellingham, Musiala, and Kvaratskhelia.
Arteta was close to losing it.
From the start, Leeds United had launched wave after wave of attacks on Arsenal.
Unlike the Leeds side that crushed Manchester United at Old Trafford three days earlier, this lineup had eleven different starters.
But the result?
Despite the personnel change, the offensive pressure was just as fierce. The pressing and tackling were still suffocating.
In this kind of high-tempo, high-pressure match, Arsenal couldn't even keep possession.
If this went on, they could become the next Manchester United.
Arteta paced the touchline, signaling to his players to keep up the tempo.
Arsenal had gone with their strongest starting eleven tonight, mainly because their league form had been terrible. They were desperate to salvage something in the cups.
Arteta's rebuild of Arsenal had been tough, but there had been steady progress.
Still, the club desperately needed a cup run to lift morale.
But Leeds United were bullying them outright.
Even the youth team was this difficult to handle.
Arteta's frustration didn't last long, though, because things soon got worse.
Alvarez had great movement. When Foden shifted toward the flank, he quickly ran to the right touchline to receive a pass and sent it back to Foden.
Reece James surged forward on the right wing. Foden tried to cut inside but was blocked, so he returned the ball to Pedri. Alvarez then received a short pass and made a diagonal run into the box.
Arsenal's left-back, Kolasinac, was ready. He stayed tight to Alvarez, using his body to push the young Argentine wide, keeping him from getting into the center.
Physically, Alvarez was decent, but he couldn't match Kolasinac in a direct duel. He was forced wide and couldn't cut inside. But this positioning also meant Kolasinac was inside the box.
At that moment, Reece James overlapped, leaving the entire right wing unguarded.
When Pedri passed the ball to the right, Kolasinac immediately abandoned Alvarez to rush toward James, trying to block the cross.
This put Alvarez in an offside position.
But the Argentine was sharp. He immediately tracked back, glancing down the right wing as Reece James took Pedri's pass and stormed forward.
Alvarez knew James's speed well, so he positioned himself near the penalty spot.
As soon as James beat Kolasinac and whipped in a cross, Alvarez darted toward the near post like a cheetah.
This sudden movement caught Arsenal's defense off guard, especially with Vinicius also making a run at the far post.
Foden, positioned near the penalty spot, was also waiting for a cut-back in a triangle pass pattern.
In short, there were three viable attacking options in Arsenal's box.
It was a full-blown attack from every angle.
The defenders were caught completely flat-footed. Even Alvarez himself was surprised.
He had just been offside. Now he was charging forward?
And yet, the ball came straight to the near post.
Alvarez met it with a close-range header, sending the ball into the net.
2-0!
"GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!"
"Julian Alvarez!"
"The young Argentine scores a brilliant header to double Leeds United's lead."
"2-0!"
"The match is turning completely against Arsenal. Leeds are pressing with relentless intensity."
After going up 2-0, Leeds United began playing with more freedom.
Arsenal's form this season had been poor, especially recently.
In their last seven matches, they had failed to win, managing just one draw and losing the rest.
That's why they were now below Manchester United in the league table.
Arteta's position as manager was now under real threat.
In the 32nd minute, Leeds attacked down the left.
Vinicius dribbled inside before cutting across and passing diagonally to Camavinga, then sprinted into the left side of the box.
Under pressure from Arsenal's defenders, Camavinga slipped a ball through into the box and found Alvarez.
With his back to goal, the Argentine held the ball up, then flicked it backward perfectly into Vinicius's path.
The Brazilian winger surged forward, controlled the ball, and then fired a right-footed shot into the far corner, once again beating Arsenal's goalkeeper.
"GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!"
"3-0!"
"Another goal for Leeds United!"
"Brazilian youngster Vinicius adds a third."
"Arsenal are completely on the back foot."
"Conceding three goals in the first half is devastating."
What was even more frustrating was that Arteta's halftime adjustments didn't change anything. Arsenal failed to mount any sort of comeback.
In the 57th minute of the second half, Tchouaméni passed the ball to the left wing, where Nuno Mendes advanced and played a through ball into the box.
Vinicius took control, brushed past Cedric, and chipped the ball into the net with his right foot.
4-0!
In the 73rd minute, Foden dribbled in from the right, cut across the penalty arc, and unleashed a left-footed curler that nestled into the bottom left corner of the goal.
5-0!
At this point, Leeds United began making several substitutions.
Players like Kvaratskhelia, Musiala, and Bellingham came on.
Even though they were young, Leeds United's players showed a completely different level of energy and intensity compared to other teams. They played with confidence and fearlessness.
This has always been a trademark of Leeds United.
The club gives their young players freedom and support, allowing them to play with belief. Even when they make mistakes, their teammates and coaches are forgiving.
Because everyone on the team had developed the same way.
Ultimately, Leeds did not score again, but still handed Arsenal a humiliating 5-0 defeat at the Emirates.
A crushing 9-0 win over Manchester United away, followed by a 5-0 thrashing of Arsenal.
First, eliminate the Red Devils. Then, wipe out the Gunmen!
Two consecutive emphatic victories, with two completely different starting lineups, left everyone in awe of Leeds United's strength.
If the demolition of Manchester United showed Leeds' sheer power, then this win over Arsenal showcased their squad depth and stamina.
Looking across all of Europe, who else could pull this off? Using two entirely different lineups to destroy Manchester United and Arsenal back to back?
Even though both traditional giants had been in a slump, they were still strong sides.
Yet Leeds made them look like amateurs, cutting through them like a hot knife through butter.
The media and fans were thrilled, and also stunned by the level of Leeds United's dominance.
As The Times commented after the League Cup match: "Leeds United are now the most dominant team in the Premier League. This young side will display incredible competitiveness and control in the coming years."
"Everyone thought Leeds had just been selling players, a star-making factory and talent farm for the big clubs. But now, Leeds is one of the highest-revenue clubs in world football."
"When this team begins to flex its full power, we may be witnessing the birth of a new dynasty at Leeds United!"
(To be continued.)