Arsenal vs Leeds LIVE: Stream, TV channel, kick-off time, teams as Odegaard STARTS for Gunners – latest updates

SENSATIONAL SAKA

There haven’t been many reasons for Arsenal fans to be cheerful this season, but the emergence of Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe have helped to numb the pain.

Saka, in particular, has been consistently impressive, contributing five goals and two assists to the cause. Only Alexandre Lacazette has scored (8) and been involved in more goals (10) for the Gunners, while the 19-year-old has also created more chances (26) and won more fouls (42) than any of his teammates.

Bukayo Saka’s performances have earned a thumbs up this season.

HEAD-TO-HEAD

Arsenal are unbeaten in their last eight games against Leeds United (W6 D2) in all competitions since a 3-2 defeat in May 2003, a result that handed Manchester United the Premier League title at the Gunners’ expense.

In terms of their history in league competition, the clubs couldn’t be on more of an equal footing.

BAMFORD BACK IN FORM

Unsurprisingly, Patrick Bamford leads Leeds’ line today, and will be looking to continue the good form that has him in the England reckoning.

The striker has been involved in five goals in his last three Premier League games (2 goals, 3 assists), and brought up the 100th of his career by scoring in Monday’s 2-0 beating of Crystal Palace.

Eight of his 12 Premier League goals this season have come away from home (67%) with only Jamie Vardy netting a higher ratio of his goals on the road (82%).

Patrick Bamford celebrates the 100th goal of his career in Monday’s win over Crystal Palace.

LEEDS UNITED SUBSTITUTES

13 Casilla, 11 Roberts, 17 Costa, 19 Hernandez, 24 Davis, 30 Gelhardt, 35 Cresswell, 47 Jenkins, 52 Huggins

LEEDS UNITED XI

It’s just the one enforced change for Marcelo Bielsa. Kalvin Phillips has failed to recover from his calf problem, and so Jamie Shackleton comes into the team. Leeds’ 4-1-4-1 formation remains the same, but the switch in personnel is likely to see Mateusz Klich drops back into a deeper holding role.

1 Meslier; 2 Ayling, 21 Struijk, 6 Cooper, 10 Alioski; 43 Klich; 18 Raphinha, 15 Dallas, 46 Shackleton, 22 Harrison; 9 Bamford

ARSENAL SUBSTITUTES

33 Ryan, 9 Lacazette, 12 Willian, 16 Holding, 19 Pepe, 21 Chambers, 22 Mari, 25 Elneny, 35 Martinelli

ARSENAL XI

Mikel Arteta makes five changes to the Arsenal side narrowly beaten at Aston Villa last time out. Bernd Leno and David Luiz are both back from suspension to take their place in goal and at centre-half respectively while Dani Ceballos comes into central midfield at the expense of the injured Thomas Partey. Nicholas Pepe – red carded in the reverse fixture – drops to the bench along with Alexandre Lacazette, Rob Holding and Mathew Ryan, and make room for Martin Odegaard’s first start. At the head of a 4-2-3-1 shape, captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is recalled to lead the line.

1 Leno; 2 Bellerin, 23 David Luiz, 6 Gabriel, 17 Cedric; 8 Ceballos, 34 Xhaka; 32 Smith Rowe, 11 Odegaard, 7 Saka; 14 Aubameyang

THE TEAMSHEETS ARE IN!

GOAL-SHY GUNNERS

Only five sides – the marooned bottom three, Burnley and Crystal Palace – have failed to score in more Premier League games than Arsenal this season.

The Gunners have been unable to find the target in nine of their 23 fixtures so far including the goalless draw at Elland Road in November.

It’s the highest amount of league games in which Arsenal have failed to score in since firing 11 blanks in the 2005-06 campaign – and there are still 15 games to go.

LONDON FALLING

Many enjoy a day trip to the capital (or at least they did before Covid) but, for Leeds United, their recent visits to London have proved less than fruitful.

The Whites are winless in their last 12 away league matches in London (D2 L10), their longest run without a victory in the capital since a 19-game stretch between 1933 and 1938.

Marcelo Bielsa’s team have lost their three Premier League fixtures in London this season – at Crystal Palace, Chelsea and Tottenham – by an aggregate score of 10-2.

Leeds’ last league win in London came in a 3-1 Championship success at Queens Park Rangers in December 2017 courtesy of a Kemar Roofe hat-trick.

SIZING UP THE OPPOSITION

The two managers have arrived at the Emirates Stadium, and Marcelo Bielsa has taken a moment to inspect the artwork on display.

What does he make of this piece, unimaginatively titled Arsenal 2020-21?

GOOD AFTERNOON FROM THE EMIRATES

Welcome to our live coverage of Arsenal’s home game with Leeds United in the Premier League.

Just one place and one point separate them in the table, but the mood engulfing these two clubs this season couldn’t be more different.

That was certainly the story when they met at Elland Road three months ago. While the game may have ended goalless, United were the far superior side and were only denied success by poor finishing and a goalframe struck three times. Arsenal’s performance, on the other hand, was summed up by Nicolas Pepe’s red card for a petulant headbutt.

It was a Leeds display indicative of their first year back in the top-flight since 2004, and it has been a campaign in which they have continuously excited and exceeded expectation.

Back in the winning way once again, Marcelo Bielsa’s men have chalked up victories in three of their last four matches, and now have their eyes on a top-half finish.

The gloss was taken off their latest triumph, the routine rolling over of Crystal Palace on Monday night, when Kalvin Phillips hobbled off with calf trouble late on. The influential midfielder is now a doubt for the trip to London.

Meanwhile, the Gunners are faltering once more. Having salvaged their season with a seven-game unbeaten run after Christmas, they come into this afternoon following back-to-back defeats – albeit it unfortunate circumstances at Wolves and Aston Villa.

Mikel Arteta will welcome David Luiz and Bernd Leno back after their bans, but Kieran Tierney remains unavailable, and he has been joined in the treatment room by Thomas Partey.

We’ll have confirmation of today’s teams shortly with the kick-off to come in the capital at 4.30pm.