What Arsenal must do to get three points vs Leeds

Arsenal have a remarkable opening presented to them to consolidate their top four berth as they head to Elland Road on Saturday to face a dreadfully depleted Leeds United.

With matches being postponed up and down the country as a result of multiple COVID absences, if it was judged on injuries instead then Leeds would have had their season cancelled.

Take a deep breath, as this is the list of absentees for Marcelo Bielsa to contend with: Luke Ayling, Charlie Cresswell, Liam Cooper, Pascal Struijk, Junior Firpo, Jamie Shackleton, Kalvin Phillips, Daniel James, Rodrigo, and Patrick Bamford. A near full XI of first team players unavailable.

On the one hand you feel great sympathy for Leeds, then on the other you also question whether or not their swashbuckling style has left its mark on the squad’s fitness. Whatever the reasons, Arsenal shouldn’t care one bit.

4 things Arsenal must do against Leeds to ensure Mikel Arteta’s side can secure three valuable Premier League points at Elland Road

Fresh off the back of beating West Ham with one of the most complete performances since Mikel Arteta took charge, confidence will rightly be flowing as they make the venture north in one of the few Premier League fixtures yet to be postponed; touch wood, fingers crossed, etc.

Come full-time Arteta’s side will have played four more games than fellow European hopefuls Tottenham, which makes the table slightly misleading. But at some stage Spurs will have a clogged fixture list to catch up on and Arsenal can ramp up the pressure on their rivals to win their games in hand with their greater points total.

Injuries have played a significant role in Leeds’ worryingly poor season as they have clinched victory on only three occasions in 17 matches, and with a 7-0 embarrassment against Man City still lingering there is absolutely no excuse not to leave with three precious points.

Normally, clubs in disarray will see Arsenal on the fixture list and beam from ear to ear. This can’t keep happening. Nothing other than a win will be acceptable and in order to clinch it, there are a few things the team will have to do in west Yorkshire.

1. Get the Ball in the Box

Like some old school football coach trying to gear up his Under-15s side as they chase an equaliser: ‘get the ball in the box’. It seems so simple.

There are a number of reasons why Arsenal need to be getting in the 18-yard area, with the most notable of all being the erratic and somewhat frantic nature of the Leeds players in that part of the pitch. They’ve already conceded three penalties this season, but it’s their general frailties at set pieces that can be exploited.

Every aspect of their side will be makeshift given the plethora of absences they’re dealing with, so there is real scope to add to their seven goals conceded from dead balls this season. They’re also generally a poor side in the air, winning the second fewest aerials of any side in the division, with their expected organisational issues set to add to that.

Only two sides have conceded more than Leeds’ 32 goals this season – which is obviously impacted by events at the Etihad – and their frail confidence is there to be attacked. If there is a free-kick, don’t be the hero and go for goal, get into on to Gabriel’s head.

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