Arsenal wishes to carry on their winning habit while traveling to Elland Road to face Leeds United who have not won a single Premier League game for over a month.
The Gunners picked up a slender 1-0 win against Bodo Glimt in the Europa League after registering their eighth win of the season last weekend against Liverpool while Leeds led but lost 2-1 to Crystal Palace in their previous match.
LU vs ARS Match Details
Date: Saturday, 15 October 2022
Time: 14:00 (BST) / 18:30 (IST)
Venue: Elland Road, Leeds
LU vs ARS Match Preview
Having Jesse Marsch back in the touchline after his suspension didn’t help Leeds United as their early lead in Selhurst Park scored by Pascal Struijk last weekend got snapped by Odsonne Edouard headed his second of the season from a Michael Ollise free-kick and then Eberechi Eze riffled in the 76th-minute winner to leave the away side stranded again. Since a sparkling 3-1 win over Chelsea in August, Leeds have struggled to add three points besides their name going on to lose three and draw two in the following five. Although the euphoria of an emphatic start to this season has not gone, fans will not be happy to have the barren run going for long. Leeds are languishing in the 14th place with nine points from eight games and only three points clear of Wolves in 18th. To make matter worse, table toppers Arsenal are visiting them next. The win over the Blues was the last time Jesse Marsch’s side has faced a top six time at present with the Pennines derby against Manchester United getting postponed so the dip in form after that result will be concerning for a side thriving to beat relegation. A defeat to the league leaders and a victory for either Wolves or Nottingham Forest in the matchup between them, a day before, could jeopardize their position on the league table. The best thing Leeds could wish for is a draw against the Gunners but sharing spoils with a side that have not dropped points at all this season and only lost one game in nine will be a humungous task. Leeds have scored four goals in the last five games conceding nine at the other end. Not enough fluency on both ends of the pitch will be a hinder for games against Leicester, Fulham and Liverpool to come after this in October. The only factor that can assist Jesse Marsch’s team is that they haven’t lost in the last four home fixtures. Leeds have scored six and conceded only once twice this season.
Arsenal have become a side now clearly associated with the word unstoppable. With the 3-1 loss to Manchester United last month the only sticking point in their chapter of the Premier League this season, the Gunners managed to scrap their eighth win of the season with a 3-2 victory against Liverpool. They have now won more games than any other side in the competition after nine rounds. Conquering a fixture that has served only disappointments in present memory showed Mikel Arteta’s men are open to any challenges this season. Any critics of Arsenal not doing it in the big games have been silenced with the emphatic win in the North London derby against Tottenham prior to this victory at the Emirates Stadium. Bukayo Saka scored twice in the win against the Reds alongside Gabriel Martinelli and also scored the only goal of the game in the Europa League group stage win over Bodo Glimt needing just a draw against PSV Eindhoven next Thursday to seal qualification in the tournament. Arsenal enters an easier run of fixtures from here at least on paper with Southampton and Nottingham Forest to face in between their Europa League doubleheader against the Dutch giants after this trip to Leeds. Everyone expects the table toppers to carry on their winning momentum in the next three fixtures this month with all the sides ranked 14 or below ibn the league. Mikel Arteta’s men will be happy to take on Leeds having beaten them seven times of the last nine encounters in all competitions back from their AstroTurf adventure in Norway and their first away trip in the league after two home games on the spin. Their tally of only three gaols conceded on the travel, all coming in that defeat at Old Trafford, is the best in the league proving their other side of the mantle having scored nine goals in just four games as visitors. It has also been 19 years since Leeds picked up a win against the Gunners in the Premier League pointing at only one outcome on Sunday.
Recent Form (all competitions)
ARS: WWWWW
Recent Form (league)
LUFC: LDLDL
ARS: WWWLW
LU vs ARS Team News
Leeds United manager Jesse Marsch said Junior Firpo is back fit from his muscle injury that kept him out last weekend’s game against Crystal Palace. Marsch also revealed that Adam Forshaw had undergone successful surgery on his ankle and he is feeling better. He is likely to be available in the break for the World Cup. Left-back Leo Hjelde has recovered well from his appendectomy and was on the pitch today, but won’t be available for probably another week or so. Archie Gray and Stuart Dallas are progressing well in their return from injury but are not available to face Arsenal.
Mikel Arteta’s men are still without Emile Smith Rowe struggling with a groin injury, Mohamed Elneny with a hamstring and Oleksandr Zinchenko down with muscle problems. Among the trio, only Elneny and Zinchenko are closing on a return rather than the 22-year-old reportedly unavailable till December. Gabriel Jesus did not travel with the squad to Norway to face Bodo Glimt as a precaution for a concussion after taking an arm to the face in the win over Liverpool last weekend. The manager has not given much of a hint of his condition but the Brazilian striker is expected to be back for this clash. Takehiro Tomiyasu will step into the unorthodox left-back role again for the second game running in place of Kieran Tierney who seems to be reserved for Europa League fixtures at the moment.
LU vs ARS Predicted Lineups
LUFC: Illan Meslier; Rasmus Kristensen, Robin Koch, Liam Cooper, Pascal Struijk; Tyler Adams, Marc Roca; Brendan Aaronson, Rodrigo, Luis Sinisterra; Patrick Bamford
ARS: Aaron Ramsdale; Ben White, William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes, Takehiro Tomiyasu; Granit Xhaka, Thomas Partey; Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, Gabriel Martinelli; Gabriel Jesus
LU vs ARS Head to Head
Arsenal thrashed Leeds 4-1 in the previous meeting at Elland Road last year with Gabriel Martinelli scoring twice with sole strikes from Bukayo Saka and Emil smith Rowe. Now Barcelona winger, Raphinha converted from the spot for a mere consolation in the 76th minute. Though, Leeds did manage to stop the Gunners in their first meeting back in the top flight at this ground with a goalless draw.
LU vs ARS Dream11 Team Prediction
GK: Meslier (8)
DEF: White (6.5), Saliba (8), Gabriel (7.5), Struijk (9)
MID: Saka (9), Odegaard (8.5), Sinisterra (9)
FW: Rodrigo (9), Jesus (9), Martinelli (9)
Captain: Gabriel Jesus
Vice-captain: Bukayo Saka
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