One of the few London clubs in the Premier League yet to be ravaged by the latest COVID-19 outbreak, Arsenal travels to West Yorkshire to take on a struggling Leeds United side. After their horrid start to the current campaign, the Gunners find themselves in the fourth spot on the Premier League table following their victory over West Ham on the last matchday.
The youth revolution is in full swing at Arsenal. Some of the most exciting u/21 talent in the world currently ply their trade under Mikel Arteta. Since the Spaniard took over at the Emirates, no side has scored more goals with players under the age of 21 than Arsenal.
There’s no other way to put this. Arsenal loves playing Leeds United. Leeds has never managed a victory at the Emirates Stadium, with their last victory over Arsenal coming at Highbury way back in 2003. That was the last time they tasted victory in any competition, anywhere, against the North London club.
They are currently on a ten-game winless streak against the Gunners.
Leeds vs Arsenal FYIs
Kick-off time: 5.30 PM GMT, 18th December 2021
Arsenal Starting XI Prediction: go here
Premier League Preview Podcast: go here
Form Guide (All Competitions): Leeds United (DWDLL) Arsenal (WLLWW)
There are only two actual injury concerns for the London outfit heading into this clash with Leeds. Long-term injury absentee Sead Kolasinac remains sidelined with the ankle injury that he suffered while on international duty. It is much the same for backup shot-stopper, Bernd Leno.
The German remains out with the groin issue that has seen him fail to even get named in the matchday squad in recent times. The big team news from an Arsenal perspective concerns striker and now former captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
After falling foul of team rules for the second time this season, his manager publicly dropped and admonished him.
He was subsequently left out of the next match, before unsurprisingly being stripped of the captaincy.
A very prickly Mikel Arteta had this to say when asked about the situation with Aubameyang:
“The decision that we have taken as a club is very clear. It is because we believe that he has failed to be committed at the level that we all expect and agreed. That commitment and passion has to be there. Unfortunately, it wasn’t.”
It seems the Gabonese goal machine’s time is up in North London, with seemingly no way back after losing the trust of his coach and teammates.