Arsenal vs Leeds United Preview – Premier League 2025/26 | Form, Injuries, Lineups & Prediction | OneFootball

Arsenal vs Leeds United Preview: Arsenal welcome newly promoted Leeds United to the Emirates in their second Premier League fixture of the season. Both sides opened with victories, but in contrasting styles: the Gunners ground out a narrow 1-0 win at Old Trafford, while Leeds impressed with their intensity and energy in a hard-fought 1-0 triumph over Everton. This clash promises intrigue, as Arsenal look to assert dominance at home while Leeds will aim to disrupt their rhythm with high pressing and relentless running.

Current Form

Arsenal may not have been at their fluid best against Manchester United, but their resilience and set-piece threat stood out. Riccardo Calafiori’s first-half goal proved decisive, with Mikel Arteta’s side digging deep to withstand late pressure. Questions remain about their ability to kill games off, but with a near fully fit squad, the Gunners look poised to build momentum.

Leeds, meanwhile, showed why many back them to be more than survival candidates this season. Against Everton, Daniel Farke’s side covered more ground, pressed aggressively, and generated over 2.1 expected goals. Lukas Nmecha’s late penalty sealed the win, but the foundation came from energy in midfield and width in attack. Their performance highlighted how their intensity can trouble even well-drilled sides, something Arsenal will need to handle carefully.

Head-to-Head Record

Recent history leans heavily in Arsenal’s favour. The Gunners have won eight of their last nine Premier League meetings with Leeds, including a 4-1 victory in their most recent clash at the Emirates in April 2023. Leeds have not beaten Arsenal in league competition since May 2003, though they did hold the Gunners to draws in the FA Cup across the past decade. This will be their first league meeting since Leeds’ top-flight return.

Injury News & Suspensions

ArsenalLeandro Trossard is back in contention after recovering from a groin injury sustained in pre-season and was on the bench at Old Trafford. Gabriel Jesus remains sidelined following knee surgery, with a potential return expected in autumn 2025. Training this week suggested tactical tweaks, with Noni Madueke operating on the right and Bukayo Saka shifted left — a possible attacking variation.

Leeds UnitedCaptain Ethan Ampadu is a doubt after taking a knock against Everton, though Daniel Farke described the issue as “just a bruise.” Dominic Calvert-Lewin, signed from Everton this summer, was not fit enough for the opener and remains questionable here. Defender Jaka Bijol has returned from suspension and is available.

Manager Quotes

Mikel Arteta (Arsenal):“Well, that gives you certainly momentum and confidence – two very important things. Because you know that when you know your standards in certain aspects, which today we weren’t, being fair, we can still come away and find a way to win the game. And the team has to find that resilience throughout the season for ten months in different contexts to be able to do that. Of course, we have to improve a lot of things and that will happen very soon. But in terms of managing to get that into a very positive result, that’s a great way to do it.”

Daniel Farke (Leeds United):“Outstanding performance. I think we were very dominant in the first half and had nearly 70 per cent possession, 12 shots already in the first half.

“I was a bit worried because especially as a newly promoted side, once you have such a dominant period, and it was more or less the whole first half that we dominated, normally you have to reward yourself also with the goal because at Premier League level one little moment can change your whole momentum.

“An experienced side like Everton can come into the game and take advantage, score a goal, and then the whole story is more like you get praise for the performance, but no points on the board.

“So I am pretty pleased that we were able in the second half to reward ourselves with this goal and also to protect this clean sheet.

Predicted Lineups

Arsenal (4-3-3):Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Califiori; Zubimendi, Ødegaard, Rice; Madueke, Gyokeres, Saka.

Leeds United (4-2-3-1):Perri; Bogle, Rodon, Bijol, Gudmundsson; Struijk, Stach; Tanaka, James, Gnonto; Nmecha.

Tactical Preview & Key Battles

Leeds’ high-energy approach could mirror the challenges Arsenal faced at Old Trafford. Ampadu’s presence in midfield is crucial — without him, Leeds may struggle to contain Martin Ødegaard and Declan Rice. Arsenal will likely dominate possession, but Leeds’ pressing and quick transitions through Rutter and Gnonto can exploit spaces left behind Califiori when he inverts.

Arteta’s decision to test Madueke on the right and Saka on the left may be designed to stretch Leeds’ full-backs and pin them deeper. Eddie Nketiah’s movement will be key against the physicality of Jaka Bijol and Joe Rodon, while Saliba and Gabriel will need to stay sharp against Leeds’ counter-attacks. The key battle may lie on the flanks, where Leeds’ intensity could force Arsenal’s wingers into defensive work, shaping the flow of the contest.

Key Battles

Declan Rice vs Pascal Struijk & Anton Stach (Midfield Engine Room)Rice will be central to Arsenal’s ball progression, but he faces a physically imposing Leeds double pivot in Struijk and Stach. Leeds’ pair will look to press aggressively and cut off his forward passing lanes, forcing Arsenal wide. If Rice can break through their pressure, Arsenal will dictate the tempo.

Martin Ødegaard vs Ao Tanaka (Creative Spark vs Defensive Work Rate)Ødegaard thrives when he finds space between midfield and defence, but Tanaka’s energy and pressing will be key to Leeds limiting Arsenal’s creativity. If Ødegaard drifts into pockets unchecked, he can feed Gyökeres and Saka with decisive passes.

Noni Madueke vs Gabriel Gudmundsson (Right Wing vs Left Back)Madueke’s direct dribbling on the right wing will test Gudmundsson, who impressed defensively against Everton. However, Madueke cutting inside opens up shooting opportunities and overlaps for Ben White. This duel could be decisive in Arsenal breaking Leeds down.

Viktor Gyökeres vs Joe Rodon & Jaka Bijol (Striker vs Centre-Backs)Gyökeres’ strength and hold-up play will test Leeds’ centre-backs. Rodon and Bijol must stay tight to prevent him from rolling into dangerous positions. Gyökeres is also a major aerial threat — especially with Arsenal’s set-piece routines proving decisive at Old Trafford.

Bukayo Saka vs Jayden Bogle (Wide Battle)Saka, starting from the left in this setup, faces the adventurous Bogle. If Bogle pushes forward too often, Saka will have space to exploit on transitions. Conversely, Leeds may see this as an outlet — Bogle overlapping to stretch Arsenal’s defensive line.

Leeds’ Wide Threat (Gnonto & James) vs Arsenal Full-Backs (Calafiori & White)Leeds’ biggest danger lies in their wingers, with Gnonto and James both direct and capable of carrying the ball at pace. Calafiori will need to manage Gnonto’s runs in behind, while White faces James’ bursts of speed. If Leeds can transition quickly, these flanks could be their best chance of hurting Arsenal.