An Arsenal side who just cannot stop winning prepare to meet a Leeds United side yet to taste victory since August in Sunday’s Premier League clash at Elland Road.
The Gunners remain one point better off than Manchester City at the top of the table, while Jesse Marsch‘s men are 14th with nine points to their name.
A notable fall from grace has occurred at Elland Road, as Leeds have gone from taking seven points from their opening three Premier League games to failing to win any of their last five amid a distinct lack of ruthlessness.
The Whites found themselves a goal to the good against Crystal Palace last weekend courtesy of an unlikely source in Pascal Struijk, but Odsonne Edouard and the effervescent Eberechi Eze turned the game on its head for Patrick Vieira‘s side, who ran out 2-1 winners.
Having followed a pattern of losing one then drawing one in the top flight since the end of August, Leeds are languishing in 14th place in the standings with nine points to their name from eight matches – three clear of 18th-placed Wolverhampton Wanderers with a game in hand.
The bulk of Leeds’ misfortunes have come on their travels, though, and Marsch’s side welcome the current Premier League leaders to Elland Road having gone unbeaten at home so far this season – conceding just two goals across 360 minutes of top-flight football.
Chelsea have already fallen to the Whites’ superiority at Elland Road, but Leeds have only ever gone unbeaten in their first five home Premier League games twice before in their history, and Arsenal will welcome a return to familiar turf after their midweek endeavours.
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Prior to the visit of the Gunners to the Arctic Circle, Norwegian powerhouses Bodo/Glimt had won 14 European games on the spin at home – including that 6-1 thumping of Roma – and concerns were raised over how Arteta’s side would become accustomed to the artificial turf.
It was far from a Europa League classic on Thursday night, but an unorthodox goal from Bukayo Saka – which the 21-year-old believed deflected off his lips into the back of the net – kept Arsenal firmly in control of Group A with a 1-0 win, their sixth on the trot in all tournaments.
Critics can no longer boldly say that Arsenal have not faced any real tests to their Premier League supremacy in 2022-23, and even though last Sunday’s thrilling 3-2 win over Liverpool was packed full of controversial moments, the scoreline in the top left-hand corner was the only statistic that mattered for Arteta’s young guns.
With Manchester City not in action until their trip to Anfield on Sunday, Arsenal could temporarily go four points clear at the top with victory at Elland Road, and their tally of three goals conceded away from home – all of which came at Old Trafford – is the best defensive record of its kind in the league.
A COVID-ravaged Leeds side fell to a 4-1 loss to Arsenal at Elland Road last December before a 2-1 defeat at the Emirates – which should have been far more comfortable for the Gunners – and it has now been 19 years since the Whites last prevailed in this fixture, ending Arsenal’s Premier League title hopes at Highbury in 2003 thanks to Mark Viduka.
