Arsenal vs Leeds EFL Cup preview: How to watch, lineups, team news & prediction

Arsenal play their third game in eight days on Tuesday as Mikel Arteta’s side welcome Leeds United to the Emirates Stadium for the EFL Cup round of 16. Here is the match preview.

The mood has lifted dramatically since Friday after a superb performance against Aston Villa offered one of the finest examples yet of what this team can produce. There were only two changes to the lineup from the manager. It felt like 11.

Pressing intensely all over the pitch, hunting in packs and forcing unstructured play, Arsenal were rampant in their 3-1 win with shots peppering Emi Martinez’s goal and the visitors made to look desperately average.

Those three Premier League points extended the unbeaten run to seven matches in all competitions, a stretch that includes victory in this very competition.

Arsenal vs Leeds United EFL Cup preview: Marcelo Bielsa takes on Mikel Arteta in the round of 16 at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday

Seeing off AFC Wimbledon with relative comfort in the previous round handed the Gunners a tasty tie with Leeds, who look like a shadow of their former selves having secured just the solitary win so far in the Premier League.

Languishing just one place and three points above the relegation zone, Marcelo Bielsa has not been helped by a plethora of injuries in key positions stretching his squad out thin.

They have had joy in this competition though, albeit still not finding their usual fluid best. It started with a 3-0 home win over Crewe, before they made the journey down to Fulham and scraped past the Cottagers on penalties after a goalless 90 minutes.

With Arsenal in better form that Leeds at present and the presence of a host of injuries for the latter, it gives the home side the favourite tag in what should nonetheless be an enticing clash with the reward for victory a spot in the quarter-finals.

Arteta will also need to make alterations to his team after two games in five days, as Leicester away is next up on the domestic fixture list on Saturday lunchtime.

EFL Cup trophy? Wouldn’t mind that.

How to Watch on TV

When Is Kick Off? Tuesday 26 October
What Time Is Kick Off? 19:45 (GMT)
Where Is it Played? Emirates Stadium
TV Channel/Live Stream? Sky Sports (UK) fuboTV (USA)
Referee? Andre Marriner

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