Arsenal vs Leeds preview, team news, stats, prediction, kick-off time, live on Sky Sports

Arsenal will be without Thomas Partey; Leeds midfielder Kalvin Phillips is an injury doubt; follow Arsenal vs Leeds on Sky Sports Premier League and Main Event from 4pm on Sunday; kick-off 4.30pm

Friday 12 February 2021 13:46, UK

Team news and stats ahead of Arsenal vs Leeds in the Premier League on Sunday; kick-off 4.30pm.

Team news

Arsenal will be without Thomas Partey for Sunday’s Premier League visit of Leeds.

The midfielder came off in last weekend’s defeat at Aston Villa with a hamstring problem and is absent this time around.

Kieran Tierney (leg) is also still missing but both Bernd Leno and David Luiz are back in contention after serving one-match bans following their red cards against Wolves.

Leeds midfielder Kalvin Phillips is an injury doubt and will be assessed after sustaining a calf injury in Monday night’s home win against Crystal Palace.

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Rodrigo and Pablo Hernandez have not recovered from respective muscle strains and will not be included in the squad.

Winger Ian Poveda (ankle), plus defenders Diego Llorente (muscle strain), Robin Koch and Gaetano Berardi (both knee) are still out.

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How to follow

Arsenal vs Leeds is live on Sky Sports Premier League and Sky Sports Main Event from 4pm; Kick-off 4.30pm. Sky Sports customers can watch in-game clips in the live match blog on the Sky Sports website and app. Highlights will also be published on the Sky Sports digital platforms and the Sky Sports Football YouTube channel shortly after the final whistle.

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Jones Knows prediction

You can’t beat a bit of Leeds on Super Sunday.

They head to The Emirates will their tails firmly up, too, having won three of their last four matches. Patrick Bamford, Raphinha and Jack Harrison are all playing with confidence and you feel the Arsenal back four is going to get a significant workout in this one. Arsenal faced 25 shots in the 0-0 draw at Leeds in November – four more than they have in any other Premier League game this season. How that game remained 0-0 is still a mystery, even when it was 11 vs 11 Leeds were the dominant side.

  • Fantasy Football: Time to snap up Dias & Raphinha!

A quick look at the table shows that Leeds are above Arsenal with a game in hand. The eye in terms of performances backs that up – there really isn’t much between these two. And with no home advantage at play still in the Premier League, the 3/1 with Sky Bet for an away win does look very generous.

One thing to consider though is Leeds’ organisation at the back – it still worries me. This means my Rob Holding to score project will hopefully take a profitable turn on Sunday.

Holding is becoming a key player for Mikel Arteta, but one thing is missing: a Premier League goal. He has never scored one.

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However, the signs are very positive in that regard, so much so I am happy to invest in his chances against a team that are notoriously terrible at defending set-pieces. Leeds have conceded a Premier League high 11 goals from set-pieces (excluding penalties), a Premier League high eight goals conceded from corners, a Premier League high 11 goals conceded from crosses and conceded a joint Premier League high nine headed goals.

Since Arsenal’s defeat to Tottenham in December, Holding has developed into massive threat at set-pieces. In that period he has registered 12 shots at goal – only Lewis Dunk has had more efforts on goal of every centre-back in the Premier League. He’s showing an ability to get into dangerous areas and it’s only a matter of time before he knocks one in.

JONES KNOWS PREDICTS: 2-3

BETTING ANGLE: Rob Holding to score (22/1 with Sky Bet)

Opta stats

  • In all competitions, Arsenal are unbeaten in their last eight games against Leeds United (W6 D2) since a 3-2 defeat in May 2003 in the Premier League, a result which won Manchester United the title at the Gunners’ expense.
  • This will be Leeds’ fourth visit to the Emirates to face Arsenal, with the previous three all coming in the FA Cup in 2011 (1-1 draw), 2012 (0-1 defeat) and 2020 (0-1 defeat).
  • Leeds have failed to score in both games against Arsenal under Marcelo Bielsa (D1 L1) – the Gunners are the only team in his entire managerial career that Bielsa has faced more than once without seeing his side score, with 16 different Leeds players attempting a shot without success (43 in total).
  • Only the bottom four sides coming into this weekend have failed to score in more Premier League games than Arsenal this season (nine). The Gunners last failed to find the net in more different league games back in the 2005-06 campaign (11).
  • Leeds are winless in their last 12 away league matches in London (D2 L10), their longest run without a win in London since a 19-game stretch between 1933 and 1938. They have lost their three Premier League games in London this season by an aggregate score of 10-2.
  • Arsenal are unbeaten in their last 27 home league games against promoted sides (W23 D4) since losing against both West Bromwich Albion and Newcastle in the 2010-11 campaign.
  • Since their goalless draw with Arsenal in November, none of Leeds’ last 13 Premier League games have ended level (W7 L6). The Whites are also looking to secure three consecutive Premier League away wins for the first time since August 2002.
  • Leeds manager Marcelo Bielsa has won just 18 per cent of his Premier League games against non-English managers (2/11), compared to 73 per cent of his Premier League games against English managers (8/11). Of all managers to have taken charge of 10+ games against each, Bielsa has the biggest difference in win rates between the two.
  • Bukayo Saka has created more chances (26) and won more fouls (42) than any other Arsenal player in the Premier League this season, while only Alexandre Lacazette has scored (eight) and been involved in (10) more goals for the Gunners than the teenager (five goals, two assists).
  • Leeds striker Patrick Bamford has been involved in five goals in his last three Premier League games (two goals, three assists). Eight of his 12 Premier League goals this season have been away from home (67 per cent), with only Jamie Vardy netting a higher ratio on the road (82 per cent, minimum 10 goals).

Pitch to Post Preview – Guardiola v Mourinho, Arsenal’s dip and development, and how far away are Man Utd?

In this week’s Pitch to Post Preview Podcast Peter Smith is joined by Sky Sports News reporter Paul Gilmour and Sky Sports feature writer Nick Wright to look ahead to Saturday’s clash between Pep Guardiola’s Man City and Jose Mourinho’s Tottenham, with the league leaders’ imperious form and Gareth Bale’s continued absence from the Spurs XI on the agenda.

We also hear from Sky Sports pundit Alan Smith on Arsenal‘s inconsistency, how Mikel Arteta is building for a better campaign next season, and whether Leeds striker Patrick Bamford can make it into England’s squad for the Euros.

Plus, Nick Wright delivers his verdict on why Manchester United should be ready for a title tilt, Sam Allardyce‘s struggles to turn things around at West Brom, and shares his Pitch for what will happen in the Premier League this weekend.

Listen to the Sky Sports Pitch to Post Podcast on: Spotify | Apple | Castbox

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