Key events
46 min: Muharemovic shields the ball well under pressure from Saka. It runs safely out play for a Leeds goal-kick.
Second half: Arsenal 0-0 Leeds United
46 min: Play resumes with Arsenal on the ball and no changes in personnel on either side.
An email: “Re: Mark Kerry’s pre-match concerns about Arsenal’s lack of a natural goalscorer,” writes Justin Kavanagh. “Fear not, Mark, I’m sure there’ll be a big, prolific Viking available to sign in the next transfer window.”
Half-time: Arsenal 0-0 Leeds United
It’s all square at the break and while Arsenal have dominated possession, Leeds have had by far the better chances. Noah Okafor went close from distance, before Jayden Bogle accidentally blocked an Anton Stach volley from close range.
Ethan Ampadu was next to try his luck with an opportunistic header from distance, only to be foiled by Raya, who also needed all his guile to keep out a Gudmundsson shot from a tight angle just before the break.
In stark contrast, decent Arsenal chances have been at a premium, the pick of them falling to Kai Havertz on the back of industrious work from Noni Madueke.
45+2 min: Arsenal have a loud penalty appeal turned down when a Saka run to try to press James Trafford is blocked by Muharemovic. It’s half-time.
44 min: A Leeds cross from the right evades the wrestling bout between Gabriel and Dominic Calvert-Lewin on the edge of the six-yard box and drops to Gudmondsson at the far post. He smashes the ball from a tight angle, forcing a superb save out of David Raya. Leeds are giving Arsenal plenty to think about in this first half. They’ve been outstanding.
43 min: Tanaka robs Rice as the Arsenal midfielder tried to rampage forward into Leeds territory.
42 min: Madueke cuts inside from the left again and gets the ball on to his right foot before pinging a little cross to Havertz. It’s a tall order and the German heads high over the bar.
40 min: Stach and Bogle get their wires crossed again, the latter pulling up and failing to make the run expected of him after playing a give-and-go with the former. Bogle gave but didn’t go, prompting Stach to throw his arms in the air in frustration.
38 min: Now Ethan Ampadu has his name taken for a foul on Ben White. Both Leeds central midfielders have been cautioned, as has their head coach, Daniel Farke. He didn’t foul anyone but I beleive he might have hurt the fourth official’s feelings.
37 min: Ao Tanaka is booked for a foul on Myles Lewis-Skelly.
34 min: Anton Stach takes a free-kick from deep, which Raya comes to punch clear. Ethan Ampadu sends a looping header goalwards and Raya has to be on his toes to get back to catch the ball before slamming on the brakes in order to avoid carrying it over his own line.
Disaster averted, Raya promptly pings a long diagonal to Madueke, who drills a low cross into the Leeds penalty area that Saka is unable to connect with under pressure from Stach.
32 min: Arsenal continue to dominate possessioon against a Leeds United side who have had the three best chances of the opening half-hour. Justin remains pitchside, waiting in frustration to be ushered back on after receiving treatment. He eventually gets the signal from referee Paul Tierney.
31 min: Justin has his nostrils plugged by the medics and play resumes.
29 min: Madueke rides a James Justin challenge to advance into the Leeds half before running into traffic. There’s a break in play so Justin can get treatment for a bloodied nose after his face-plant into the Emirates pitch.
27 min: Ao Tanaka sends a cross from the left into the Arsenal penalty area, where the ball breaks kindly for Bogle. He tries to lift it over David Raya, who gets enough on the ball to put it out for a corner, from which nothing comes. That was another decent chance for Leeds.
24 min: Gabriel Gudmondsson floats an excellent cross to the far post, where Anton Stach is waiting to volley goalwards. He connects with the ball, only to see his shot blocked by Jayden Bogle, his own teammate. That was an excellent chance for Leeds to go ahead but it was ruined by accidental self-sabotage.
22 min: Ao Tanaka coughs up extremely cheap possession in midfield, allowing Odegaard to advance on the Leeds penalty area with plenty of teammates up in support. The ball is worked to Lewis-Skelly on the edge of the area but he’s squeezed off the ball before he can get a shot away.
21 min: Madueke cuts in from the left and stands the ball iup for Havertz, on the edge of the six-yard box. The German is leaning backwards as he heads the ball and is unable to generate enough power to trouble James Trafford.
20 min: Muharemovic is perfectly placed to intercept a neat Rice pass through the centre aimed towards the feet of Havertz. Good defending from Leeds.
18 min: On the right wing, Saka unsuccessfully tries to dribble around Gudmondsson, who is having none of it. Call him Gandalf Gudmondsson: “You shall not pass!”
16 min: Madueke jinks this way and that out on the left trying to create a yard to get a cross in. He’s unceremoniously dispossessed by Jayden Bogle. That rick aside, Madueke is looking quite lively in what is an unfamiliar position for him. It’s interesting that he was picked to play there ahead of Eberechi Eze.
14 min: Madueke gets on the ball out on the left touchline, before playing it inside to Myles Lewis-Skelly, who sends it towards Declan Rice. Leeds win possession back and go Route One, but Dominic Calvert-Lewin is unable to get to it before Konsa despite a well-timed sprint.
12 min: Just the one shot on goal so far, from the boot of Leeds United’s Noah Okafor.
10 min: Leeds enjoy a spell of good possession which ends abruptly when Anton Stach strays offside before latching on to a pass up the inside left from Gabriel Gudmonsson.
8 min: Noah Okafor sees a curled effort from the edge of the area deflected narrowly wide of the upright. From the ensuing corner, Arsenal break upfield with Bukayo Saka on the ball. Jayden Bogle makes a crucial tackle.
6 min: Odegaard ignores the urging of the crowd and passes up a shooting opportunity on the edge of the Leeds box, choosing instead to spray the ball wide to Madueke on the left. A promising move breaks down when Leeds win a free-kick for something-or-other.
5 min: Jayden Bogle boots the ball long from the Leeds right-back position but there’s far too much welly on his delivery, which carries through to David Raya on the edge pof the Arsenal penalty area.
4 min: Tarik Muharemovic and Trafford exchange passes under a heavy press from Arsenal, who end up winning a throw-in.
2 min: Arsenal are straight on to the front foot, with Noni Madueke on the ball out on the left wing. He plays a one-two with Odegaard and steers the ball into the centre for Saka, who collides with Trafford as he elects to try and poke it goalwards with a high foot instead of his head. Offside.
Arsenal v Leeds United is go …
1 min: With their players kitted out in yellow shirts, black shorts and yellow socks, Leeds United get the ball rolling on a sunny day at the Emirates Stadium.
Not long now: With the opening riff of Eminem’s Loose Yourself booming out over the Emirates PA, referee Paul Tierney and his team of match officials lead out both sets of players. Kick-off is just a couple of minutes away.
Mikel Arteta: “It’s been a long international break with some players having different issues,” says Arsenal’s head coach in an interview with TNT Sports. “The team look good and we have a point to prove after what happened in our last game.”
An email: “Happy Saturday, Barry,” writes Mark Kerry. “Is it just me or are there other baffled Arsenal fans out there regarding Arteta’s obsession with starting Havertz as a centre forward? I just can’t see the rationale for it at this point, given that Havertz has proven over the last few seasons that he’s not at all prolific, whereas Gyokeres is clearly a capable finisher – as exemplified both by last season in the Premier League but also during recent internationals. Would Arsenal not be better to persist with, or even adapt to,a more natural goal scorer?”
I’m not an Arsenal fan, baffled or otherwise, but I don’t think Gyokeres is a good enough centre-forward to play for them and I’m not sure he’s done anywhere near enough to convince Mikel Arteta otherwise. His forte is running behind into the kind of space Arsenal just aren’t afforded by most teams they play against and for such a big unit, his hold-up play is dismal. It doesn’t surprise me that Kai Havertz is picked ahead of him.
Daniel Farke: The Leeds United head coach was one of several top flight managers who chose not to offer his thoughts on the Manchester City verdict in his pre-match press conference but he was happy to discuss the significant improvement shown by his own team in recent months.
“It’s not coincidence that in the last 10-11 months we are the fifth best team in the Premier League in terms of points,” he told reporter. “We haven’t won the lottery to be in fifth, it’s not coincidence that we are unbeaten after a very impressive start to the Premier League.”
Farke did point out that the only time he faced Manchester CIty during the years they have been found guilty of financial shenanigans he was in charge of a Norwich City side that won.
Mikel Arteta: The Arsenal head coach played a predictably straight bat while dealing with the obligatory questions about Manchester City, repeatedly stressing the need to “respect the process”. Arteta served as assistant coach at City under Pep Guardiola between 2016-19, a period which overlapped several seasons of financial skullduggery. Upon being asked if his conscience is clear, he offered a one-word reply: “Yes”.
During the football-related parts of his press conference that nobody was particularly interested in, Arteta had this to say about his side’s return to action. “We have been three weeks with no football for us, without club football. We play in front of the Emirates, in front of our people. The atmosphere we have created in recent months has been unbelievable.”
Comment: As the top flight returns, armed with the knowledge its serial champions have been the authors of a 10-year sham supremacy, the first question is simple: how is it going to feel? Words: Barney Ronay
Today’s match officials
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Referee: Paul Tierney
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Assistants: Richard West and Steve Meredith
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Fourth official: Oliver Langford
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VAR: Tony Harrington
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Assistant VAR: Nick Greenhalgh
Those teams: Despite fears they may be unavailable, Ezri Konsa, Declan Rice and Kai Havertz have all been passed fit to start for Arsenal, who make three changes to the side that lost against Brighton. Ben White, Myles Lewis-Skelly and Noni Madueke all come into the side, while Bruno Guimaraes, Jurrien Timber and the injnured Christos Tzolis drop out.
Daniel Farke fields the same Leeds starting XI for the fourth consecutive Premier League match. After missing out on international duty with Wales through injury, Harry Wilson starts on the bench. His international teammate Dan James is ruled out.
Arsenal v Leeds United line-ups
Arsenal: Raya; White, Konsa, Gabriel, Calafiori; Rice, Lewis-Skelly, Odegaard; Saka, Havertz, Madueke
Subs: Kepa, Hincapie, Eze, Timber, Gyokeres, Merino, Zubimendi, Guimaraes, Dowman
Leeds United: Trafford, Justin, Elvedi, Muharemovic, Bogle, Ampadu, Tanaka, Gudmundsson, Stach, Okafor, Calvert-Lewin.
Subs: Zetterer, Bard, Bijol, Gruev, Longstaff, Aaronson, Wilson, Bahoya, Nmecha.
Early team news: The international break was not particularly kind to Arsenal, who have lost their Greek winger Christos Tzolis to a hamstring injury, while the particpation of Kai Havertz and Ezri Konsa in today’s game is also in serious doubt. William Saliba remains sidelined with a back injury, but some or all of Declan Rice, Max Dowman, Ben White and Christhian Mosquera could return from short spells in the treatment room to feature today.
Should Havertz be forced to sit this game out, Viktor Gyokeres could get his first Premier League start of the season. While he has yet to score for Arsenal in the current campaign, he did score in four consecutive games for Sweden during the international break.
Neither Harry Wilson nor Joe Rodon featured for Wales during the international break. Rodon is definitely out of today’s game, while Wilson’s chances of playing are rated at 50-50. Their compatriot Dan James is definitely out after picking up a back injury on Wales duty. Jean-Matteo Bahoya may miss out after injuring his ankle on duty for France U21s.
Premier League: Arsenal v Leeds United
After an uncharacteristically long hiatus, the Premier League is back. And while there is no shortage of fans ready to wrap themselves in its cosy familiarity, this is now an unquestionably different competition. Still in its infancy after just five games, the rest of this season’s post-verdict Premier League remains shrouded in a weird uncertainty, but in the meantime the show must go on. Until Manchester City’s fate is decided, it will have a surreal and hollow feel.
While Mikel Arteta and Arsenal fans have had three weeks to stew over the shellacking their champions were subjected to by Brighton just before the international break, the collective mood will have been improved by news the Spaniard has signed a lucrative new four-year contract that will keep him at the Emirates until 2030.
Despite making short work of today’s visitors at home and away last season, Arsenal welcome a much-improved Leeds United side to the Emirates. Fifth in the table, Daniel Farke and his players earned plenty of plaudits this season. Few of them came on the back of a dreary stalemate with Crystal Palace last time out, but their demolition of Newcastle a week previously was genuinely impressive. Kick-off in what promises to be a stern test of both teams’ mettle is at 12.30pm (BST) but we’ll have team news and build-up in the meantime.
