Arsenal vs Leeds preview: How to watch, predicted lineups, score prediction & injury updates

Arsenal are back in Premier League action as the Emirates Stadium hosts Leeds United on Sunday. Here is the match preview.

Is all lost? Back-to-back defeat in the midlands against Wolves and Aston Villa brought the most positive spell of the season to a crashing halt in demoralising fashion as red cards and individual errors played their part in dampening the mood in north London.

In the battle for slightly-above-mid-table this season, Leeds sit one point and one place above Arsenal in the Premier League standings with a game in hand. Whatever targets were set pre-season have chopped and changed, going from the faintest hopes of top four to ‘maybe top six’.

The result on Sunday will go some way towards determining whether the final egg is placed in the Europa League basket. Even now, the only route back into the Champions League is via that competition, as despite other sides in the division suffering from their own woes, there are least ten sides better suited than Arsenal to enter to upper echelon, let alone four.

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Arsenal vs Leeds preview of Sunday’s Premier League clash at the Emirates Stadium

The craziest season is precisely that. Thus, nothing is out of the question, but all eyes must be fixed on Benfica. Winning on Sunday is more for building momentum than it is climbing up the Premier League table, despite the latter still being of obvious importance.

Points are easier to come by for most visiting sides this term, Leeds included. They’ve accrued 18 points on the road compared to 14 at home, and their 38 goals scored is a higher total than all the sides below them in the table. Arsenal have just four wins at the Emirates from their 11 fixtures.

Lose and Arsenal can kiss goodbye to the Premier League entirely this season. Win, and the positivity will return pre-Europa League. Attacking displays have been undone by a combination of errors, dismissals and the final touch, so how the team respond to the recent setbacks is paramount to clawing back some hope from now until the summer.

Leeds won’t sit back, nor will they be easily rolled over. This is a big one. Who will Mikel Arteta choose, how strong does he go and who is risked to start? It’s exciting and worrying in equal measure.

Here is your match preview.

How to Watch on TV

When Is Kick Off? Sunday 14 February
What Time Is Kick Off? 16:30 (GMT)
Where Is it Played? Emirates Stadium
TV Channel/Live Stream? Sky Sports (UK) fuboTV (USA)
Referee? Stuart Attwell

Arsenal Team News

Touching first on those returning from suspension, Arsenal welcome back Bernd Leno from his red card at Wolves. That baffling decision has to be put past him now as despite Mat Ryan’s impressive debut in the defeat to Villa, the German will return between the sticks.

David Luiz has also served his one-match suspension and is back for Sunday. Gabriel filled in for him last time out and was the stronger of the two centre-backs on the day so it’s expected he’ll keep his place against Leeds.

Two key concerns for Arsenal are at left-back and central midfield, with Kieran Tierney initially thought to be in line for a return after four Premier League games absent and Thomas Partey aiming to recover having hobbled off 15 minutes from time against Villa.

Both are unavailable. The former won’t be back in training until next week and the latter may miss two weeks.

https://twitter.com/Kalvinphillips/status/1359106310818660352

Both legs against Benfica are of paramount importance and with both now likely to miss the opener, and Partey potentially the return leg, it severely stunts Arsenal’s chances of progression to the latter stages.

Aside from them, Alexandre Lacazette’s early second half substitution in the 1-0 defeat was tactical more than anything else and he is thought to be fit, while Pablo Mari and Dani Ceballos have fully recovered from their knocks.

As for Marcelo Bielsa’s side, Kalvin Phillips did look set to miss out after being forced to come off in their win over Crystal Palace, although the player has since stated he hopes to return in time.

Pablo Hernandez and Rodrigo will face late fitness tests, although central defensive duo Robin Koch and Diego Llorente will miss out. As will Ian Poveda, who is a long-term absentee.

Arsenal Predicted Lineup

Arsenal: Leno; Bellerin, Holding, Gabriel, Cedric; Ceballos, Xhaka, Smith Rowe; Saka, Lacazette, Pepe

Leeds: Meslier; Ayling, Struijk, Cooper, Alioski; Raphinha, Dallas, Phillips, Klich, Harrison; Bamford

Arsenal vs Leeds Score Prediction

Arsenal should not have left Elland Road with a point in the reverse fixture this season. From start to finish they were torn apart by a blistering Leeds side, who struck the frame of the goal four times and were stopped by Leno on a number of occasions.

Nicolas Pepe‘s red card could have been to Arsenal’s benefit in hindsight, as the Gunners dropped deeper and put every man behind the ball. Yet even with that in mind, a few licks of paint were all that stopped it being a hammering.

Since then, the Gunners are a better defensive unit, provide more protection to the back four, create openings more fluently and move swifter through the thirds. Emile Smith Rowe’s involvement has played a major part and so too has the addition of variety in attacking phases, so pre-match reflections on the previous meeting can be put to one side.

Leeds won’t stray from their usual high-octane approach. They will keep men pushed up in the attacking third, cut off all supply lines and stretch the game enough to allow Phillips – if he’s fit – all the time he needs to get his head up and spray passes.

To beat this Leeds team you need either to match their intensity, get some luck or utilise your opportunities when breaking their high press. The latter is a nut Arsenal haven’t been able crack. When on top in matches they’re either not ruthless enough or lacking the killer pass.

Winning on Sunday will hinge on the Gunners using their inevitable man advantage when Leeds press high. Pace and quickness of thought will be vital to making those opportunities more threatening. Stopping the hugely impressive Raphinha would be helpful, too.

If they can crack the final 5-10% of their play up until the last motion, then Arsenal stand a decent chance. Can it all come together? Without Partey to navigate his way through the Leeds onslaught, it’ll be a struggle.

Score Prediction: Arsenal 1-2 Leeds