Arsenal vs Leeds United: Preview, Team News, Lineups, Prediction and Other PL Games Today

Arsenal host Leeds United at the Emirates on Saturday lunchtime, in the first league game back after the international break. Only three points and three places separate the two sides.

When is Arsenal vs Leeds United?

Arsenal vs Leeds United in the Premier League takes place on Saturday at the Emirates Stadium. Kick-off is at 12:30pm UK time, which is also 12:30pm West Africa Time (WAT).

How Arsenal Have Started

Arsenal’s perfect start came to an end before the break. They lost 3-0 at Brighton on September 19, and it was a rough afternoon on the south coast. Brighton scored three, pressed hard and were sharp at set pieces, and Arsenal were beaten at their own game. Arteta said afterward that his team lacked respect for the occasion.

It was Arsenal’s heaviest league defeat since another 3-0 loss to Brighton in May 2023. It also handed Manchester City top spot going into the break.

There was good news at the end of it, though. Arsenal confirmed that Arteta has signed a new long-term contract. He has the best win rate of any manager in the club’s men’s history, at 61%.

The home record is the real positive. Arsenal have won their last five league games at the Emirates, scoring 10 and conceding just one. They haven’t failed to score in a home league game since January 8 against Liverpool.

Leeds Are Still Unbeaten

Few people would have predicted this before the season started, but Leeds are the ones arriving with an unbeaten record. Daniel Farke’s side have won two, drawn three and sit fifth with nine points from a possible 15. They beat Nottingham Forest and Newcastle, and they drew with Brighton, which is more than Arsenal could manage. They also drew with London clubs Brentford and Crystal Palace.

They were a bit fortunate against Palace, who missed chances at Elland Road, but Leeds still finished with their best start to a top-flight season since 2001-02. Defensively they have been very good, with just three goals conceded. That is the joint best in the league, level with Everton and better than Arsenal’s four.

The catch is last season’s record against this opponent. Leeds lost 5-0 at the Emirates and 4-0 at home, and they have now lost eight straight against Arsenal.

The History Is Heavily One-Sided

Arsenal have dominated this fixture for a long time. Leeds haven’t beaten them in 16 matches, going all the way back to a 3-2 win in May 2003. Thierry Henry is still the top scorer in the fixture with 12 goals.

Head-to-Head and Key Numbers

• Arsenal have 55 wins from 129 meetings. Leeds have 41 wins and 33 games ended in draws.
• Last season Arsenal won 5-0 at home and 4-0 at Elland Road.
• Leeds have lost eight in a row against Arsenal and haven’t won in 16 meetings.
• Arsenal have won five straight home league games, scoring 10 and conceding one.
• Leeds and Everton have the best defensive record in the league, with three goals conceded each.
• Dominic Calvert-Lewin hasn’t scored against Arsenal since February 2020 and is on a nine-game drought in this fixture.

Squad and Team News

The international break has been unkind to Arsenal again. Declan Rice, Ezri Konsa, Kai Havertz, Max Dowman and Christos Tzolis all pulled out of their national teams with injuries. Tzolis has a hamstring problem and will miss a few weeks. Dowman has been given the all-clear, and Rice, Konsa and Havertz have not been ruled out yet. Ben White (groin) and Cristhian Mosquera (thigh) are back in contention. William Saliba (back) is the only long-term absentee, but Arsenal have had encouraging news about his recovery.

Leeds have fewer problems. Jean-Matteo Bahoya hurt his ankle with France’s Under-21s, but he and Harry Wilson (thigh) both have a chance of being fit. Daniel James (back), Mateo Joseph (knee) and Joe Rodon (hamstring) are all out.

Possible Lineups

Arsenal: Raya in goal, with Timber, Mosquera, Gabriel and Calafiori at the back. Rice and Lewis-Skelly sit in midfield, with Saka, Odegaard and Eze in front of them and Gyokeres leading the line.

Leeds United: Trafford in goal, behind a back three of Justin, Muharemovic and Elvedi. Bogle, Tanaka, Ampadu, Stach and Gudmundsson make up the midfield, and Okafor plays alongside Calvert-Lewin up front.

Tactical Verdict

Arsenal’s defending at Brighton was well below their usual standard, but this is a different test. Leeds are hard to beat and organized at the back, but they don’t score much. They’ve scored less than half as many as Brighton’s league-leading 16.

Expect Arsenal to have most of the ball and push Leeds back into their half, while Leeds stay compact and look for set pieces and counters. The break and the injury list add some uncertainty, but Arsenal’s squad depth and their strong home form should be enough.

Prediction

Arsenal 2-1 Leeds United. Arsenal are playing at home after a poor result and know they have to react. Leeds will probably score at some point, but the home side should do enough to return to winning ways.

Other Premier League Games Today

Arsenal and Leeds kick off the Saturday action, with a full afternoon slate to follow. Times are UK time, which matches West Africa Time (WAT) right now.

• Aston Villa vs Brentford: 3:00pm
• Chelsea vs Bournemouth: 3:00pm
• Ipswich Town vs Fulham: 3:00pm
• Sunderland vs Brighton & Hove Albion: 3:00pm
• Manchester United vs Tottenham Hotspur: 5:30pm