On Sunday afternoon, seven days after they dispatched Liverpool at home, the top-of-the-table Gunners will be looking to keep their momentum moving steadily forward as they take on Yorkshire outfit Leeds United at their Elland Road ground. Leeds may not be as far north, and certainly isn’t as picturesque as midweek stopover Bodø, but seeing as Elland Road used to be called the Old Peacock Ground, it’s a highly suitable venue for Arsenal to strut their table topping stuff. But while the Gunners remain top, they have to keep earning it week upon week if they intend to stay there, and Leeds away has the potential to be a banana skin (or another metaphor of your choosing) if the players’ focus and application aren’t quite right. As we witnessed at Bodø, it’s not possible for any team to bring their best performance to every match so this will be another important test of our young team’s stamina and resilience.
The Dirty Opposition
Leeds survived a serious relegation scare last season when their newly hired Yank manager dragged them over the line into 17th position at season’s end after taking the reins from sacked Argentine club legend Marcelo Bielsa a few months prior. Jesse Marsch, the Yank in question, is an Ivy League graduate (Princeton, doncha know) and came to Leeds in February after coaching stints at three member clubs (New York/Salzburg/Leipzig) of the Red Bull empire between 2015–21, a stretch that was highlighted by two straight Austrian league championships. According to the Guardian’s pre-season preview of Leeds (https://www.theguardian.com/football/2022/jul/22/premier-league-2022-23-preview-no-10-leeds), Marsch’s teams are known for their intense high pressing and the 4-2-2-2 system he developed in his time at Red Bull.
This season Marsch has been selecting a first XI comprised mostly of players from the Bielsa era (Harrison, Koch, etc.), with a few new faces mixed in. Prominent among the newbies is speedy 21 year old winger Brenden Aaronson, whom Marsch brought in from Salzburg as the second most expensive U.S. signing ever, lagging only Christian Pulisic of Chelsea. Aaronson has been getting positive reviews for his contributions to the Leeds attack, and has started all eight fixtures to date. Elsewhere in attack Patrick Bamford has returned from last season’s injury plague to provide greater attacking threat, but hasn’t scored any goals. 31 year old Spanish striker Rodrigo is their top goal scorer with four, followed by Luis Sinisterra, a Colombian winger signed from Feyenoord, who has scored two. Presumably Sinisterra was brought in to replace Raphinha, Leeds’ star man of the last few years who left over the summer for Barcelona, and whose creativity won’t be easily replaced. Leeds currently occupy 14th spot in the table having scored 11 goals but conceded 12. Last week they ended up losing 2-1 away to Crystal Palace after dominating the first 45 minutes but falling away in the second, so Arsenal’s fresh legs off the bench could play an important role if their anticipated first half barrage doesn’t materialize.
Arsenal
Gabriel, who was rested in Norway, should resume his customary position in central defence, along with Xhaka and Partey in midfield, and Jesús and Martinelli in the forward line. I expect Jesús could be particularly energetic in this one, and I might fancy a bet on the Brazilian scoring the first goal, or even another one on 3-1 to the Arsenal with one goal each by Jesús, Martinelli and Saka in that exact order. I don’t know the odds but they ought to be pretty attractive to the betting-inclined, so there you go! The team should remain unchanged from the one that dispatched Liverpool so delightfully:
Ramsdale
White, Saliba, Gabriel, Tierney
Partey, Xhaka
Ødegaard
Saka, Jesús, Martinelli
If you fancy an additional bet I would put your money (not mine) on a 4-1 scoreline with the goals by the same three players plus a final salvo by late substitute Vieira, so get scavenging that long lost cash and have at it! If you’re watching on the telly, don’t forget to look for our very own Countryman100 who should be leading the charged-up chorus in the away section. But most importantly, do your utmost to root the Gunners on to a victory of any kind, be it clean, dirty or somewhere in the middle. It’ll keep us top, I know because the table says so.
Enjoy the game ‘holics!
thirst!
sitting in trafalgar square’s afternoon sun, on the steps of st. martin’s in the fields, contemplating an arsenal win at eland road. what’s not to like, especially as the contemplation was sparked by bt8’s fine piece above. thank you; you too would be in place at the peacock ground, on this offering.
i will have to check in the score later tomorrow, as we will be on the road to marazion; i don’t trust the wi-fi at little chef to hold a stream.
Update from the Arsenal site: “Arteta admits Jesus is a doubt for Leeds game”
Damn. But if no Jesus come on Eddie.
Bt8
Your usual fine and comprehensive preview although I think your score prediction is a trifle optimistic!
Given the trip to Norway and the all action style of Leeds at a passionate Elland Road this will be a potentially tough assignment. We should win if we can create midfield dominance but goals might be more difficult without Gabriel Jesus although Eddie has a lot of motivation to show Leeds what they failed to use when he was with them .Fingers crossed we can put Dirty Leeds in their place
Great preview bt8! Off for my first away day this season to Dirty Leeds tomorrow. So looking forward to it! Up early tomorrow, coffee and a bacon roll and on the road by ten am., Got a great parking slot ten minutes from the ground. No colours at Leeds, I want to keep my teeth! Good luck to all of you stream hunting – My son and I very privileged to have a ticket.
Excellent, thorough preview as usual bt8! Your team is the likeliest too except what seems to be Eddie getting a chance with Jesus not fully recovering from the ‘Pool match yet. Hopefully both him and Zinchenko are back soon.
Eddie now presses almost as well as Martinelli and Jesus, and his close control and speed with the ball at his feet have improved significantly. We have done very well in transitions this season and hope that continues.
I haven’t seen Leeds play this season, but if they have maintained that whirlwind Bielsa-style football this will be a real physical test. Subs like Holding, Vieira, Tomi — unless Mikel keeps him on the left back — may have a big role to play in the final period of the match.
Come on Arsenal!
Cheers Bt8!
Another excellent preview, bt8. I like your team and hope Jésus makes the game but as others have observed we have an able and willing replacement in Eddie. I agree that KT3 is likely to regain his LB place but wonder if Tomi will also regain his place at RB.
Like TTG, I don’t expect us to win by a healthy margin and expect the outcome to be tighter. Despite their difficult start and lowly position, dirty Leeds have only let in 2 more goals than us though they have scored half our tally. I hope for a hard-fought 2-1 win for the good guys.
COYG
Thanks bt8, great stuff to set up the game, a solid 2-0 win would do me fine.
I see Zin is still out, I am sure I read it was a minor knock when it first happened so I hope he is back with us soon. On the other hand, we seem to have three good left back options now so Jesus would be the bigger miss.
C100, I never made it to Elland Road with or without colours so looking forward to your report of the days highs and lows.
Cheers bt8, for a well researched preview as ever.
I think Eddie will start if there is any doubt at all about Jesus’ fitness. Eddie is a very good poacher, which could be an asset in the scrappy game that Dirty Leeds will try to make this one.
I’ve heard it said on radio that Marsh has gone even more Bielsa than Bielsa with this team – however that is possible ! Maybe he lies flat on the touchline, in addition to refusing to try to translate his interviews from American into English ? 😳
Take care up there, Countryman and son – teeth a wise priority over colours !
This will be tricky, I fear – one of those ‘any win and no injuries’ days. No TV coverage, so a miserable stream hunt seems inevitable ….😡
Cheers bt8!
3-0 to the Arsenal today.
trev having more than a half a pint on this one.
ollie joining in the festivities. 3-0? would that we can!
Perseveration amended, Trev and apology therefore removed as unnecessary, Ed.
Strong line up Tomi and Jesus start
Start strongly and they will fold like usual. 3 nil to the Arse.
Cheers Esso. 🍻
Tomiyasu at left back, this week and last. My blushes for overlooking him. I can only take it as a sign so my revised prediction is that he’ll play an absolute blinder!
Stream just lit up on my telly. Good timing good omen?
Cracker from Saka, making us work for it.
Anyway 1-0 to The Arsenal!
Could of had another but then Aaron saved well too.
Tomi not a one-off at left back
Wow! What a battle! Balls out Gunners today.
That was either a champion team finding a way to win when it shouldn’t have or a team using up its luck for the season. I hope it was the former.
Ramsdale MOTM for me. Several crucial saves.
Indeed Ned.
Tough watch today but balls of steel and a little fortune going our way. Three points not to be sniffed at, always a new aspect to our performances. Up The Gunners!
Ned @24, by a country mile….or two!
I thought we looked ok 1st half but that 2nd half 🫣🫣
Yeah, first half was Ok-ish Matt. And there was me thinking at half-time, we’ll make a few adjustments, Mikel will have a few tough words, we’ll improve in the second half and 3-0 might happen. 🙄
That second-half was torture.
Had the same thought Ollie, our class would start to tell around the hour mark hahaha.
Why do we always have a player or two that will act an ass and possibly cost us a game??!! Used to be Xhaka, David Luiz now it’s Gabriel ffs 😡. All hail VAR, in times gone by we’d have been fucked
Don’t mind if Liverpoo and Shitty stays 0-0, we’ll be three points clear
I disagree OM, would love Shity having at least 1 Loss
Happy Invincibles Day. How shit is Nunez though?
Confucius said: better four points clear than three points clear.
Nunez almost cost his team a win on 3-4 occasions today, so selfish and bad decisions.
Happy 4 points clear
I’m not a big fan of Confucianism but I must bow to the sage’s wisdom on this occasion.
4 points clear is a happy place to be.
I hope C100 escaped as unscathed as the team, the locals must have been pretty riled by the end.
Belated apologies to the army of Tomiyasu admirers, and I certainly include myself in that number, for incorrectly saying above that he was not part of the first XI that dispatched Liverpool. Of course I was also wrong about the left back selection this week. In the second half today I found myself thinking that it would have been useful to have Zinchenko to bring on, but Tomi is more than dependable in nearly any situation.
As is Tierney. An embarrassment of riches actually.
I think HRH did us a huge favour with the timing of her sad, unfortunate but inevitable demise. RIP Ma’am and thank you again.
We looked absolutely knackered in that second half and to get out of Dodge with three points is nothing short of a miracle. Had we been facing Shitteh on Wednesday in need of a rebound from their Dipper defeat I would fear for the outcome. Indeed we looked so lacklustre in that second half, if we get anything out of the PSV game, it’ll be another miracle and they should start sculpting Mikel’s bust forthwith.
Ya gotta admit, Rambo’s got balls.
Suppose I’d have to consult a mathematician to be sure but by my primitive calculations I’d reckon that today we increased our lead at the top of the table by 400%. Don’t know how consequential that is mind you
Just over one-quarter of the season gone: 28 more wins, and we win the league.
Bath@39: You are right that not playing City on Wednesday is a break for us after a high-intensity run of the neighbours, the bin dippers and then dirty Leeds. Some tired legs can sit out Thursday’s game against PSV.
Ned, I believe with a 4 point lead we only need 27 more wins…
Fair point, ecg, but we are forever the perfectionists here at Castle Ned.
One game at a time now. 😎
Just been watching the game a second time. A really gritty performance from our players sets us up well for similar tests to come. Some luck but a lot of graft went into those three points. Oh, and as ATG said, the lino who flagged for the “penalty” on Gabriel is a tosser, but we are top of the league. 😎
it’ll be up to the crowd to lift the boys thursday. i expect to be hoarse on the flight home sunday, or i won’t have done my bit.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>