Arsenal vs Leeds United
We’re down to the final 10 (or 11 for some teams) matchdays in the 2022-23 Premier League campaign, and most of the clubs are already feeling the fatigue, both physically and mentally.
It’s hard to find a team that is 100-per cent healthy, and that is the case for Arsenal and Leeds when they clash at the Emirates this Saturday night.
Arsenal are still on top of the pack with 69 points, and they can extend their lead to 11 should they win again this weekend. The Gunners have had nothing but positive Premier League 2023 results since losing to Manchester City last February.
As for Leeds, they have ground to make up because they’re in 14th place with 26 points. They won against the Wolves before the international break, and they need more of those to ensure their top-flight status for next season.
Talking Points
Saka shining, Smith Rowe out to prove something
With Arsenal sweating on the fitness of the likes of William Saliba, Thomas Partey, and Eddie Nketiah, this opens opportunities for the other Gunners, assuming the three of them are unavailable this weekend.
Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe are two players who can fill in for those possible absentees. This just goes to show how deep Arsenal are, which is the main reason why they’re poised to win the Premier League this year.
Saka has been Arsenal’s top scorer with 13 goals and 10 assists, and he shone for England this international break, scoring in their 2-0 victory over Ukraine in the Euro 2024 qualifiers.
He is one of the best wingers that we have today, and rival clubs are keen on acquiring him this summer. However, Saka has agreed to an extension with Arsenal after months of negotiations.
Smith Rowe, meanwhile, found the back of the net in England U-21’s 4-0 victory against France, which served as a timely reminder of how efficient he is in the penalty box.
He is determined to hit the ground running at Arsenal once again, as he was limited for the most part this season due to a nagging groin injury.
Rough international break for Leeds
Leeds’ escape from relegation just got a little more difficult, as they’ll take on the league leaders without possibly their five senior team players.
Stuart Dallas and Adam Forshaw remain long-term absentees, while Tyler Adams is out for an extended period, and Willy Gnonto and Max Wober are listed as doubtful.
Adams just had surgery on his hamstring, forcing him to withdraw from the USMNT squad for their CONCACAF Nations League victories over El Salvador and Grenada. Gnonto and Wober, on the other hand, picked up knocks while playing for Italy and Austria, respectively.
But even with their spate of injuries, Leeds are not to be counted out easily since they still have the likes of Patrick Bamford, Rodrigo Moreno, Crysencio Summerville, Luis Sinisterra, Jack Harrison, and Georginio Rutter capable of scoring goals on any given night.
History
Arsenal are undefeated in their last 13 games with Leeds across all competitions (W11, D2). Arsenal’s last defeat was in May 2003, when Leeds beat them 3-2 at the Emirates to essentially end their title bid that season.
Leeds haven’t drawn or kept a clean sheet in any of their subsequent 13 league away visits against the Gunners (W3, L10), conceding 31 total goals since their goalless draw in their first-ever Premier League away match against them in February 1993.
The Gunners eked out a 1-0 win in their reverse fixture last October, as Bukayo Saka scored the only goal during the 35th minute.
The hosts are on a six-game winning streak here in the Premier League, which is their joint-longest run under Mikel Arteta. They can extend their run to seven in a row for the first time since October 2018 under Unai Emery.
Betting Tip
The SBOTOP Premier League 2023 odds are not optimistic on Leeds’ chances to win, unfortunately, as Arsenal are the favourites at 1.28, while Leeds are the underdogs at 8.00, and a draw is at 5.20 in the 1X2 market.
While an Arsenal victory seems like the obvious choice, our recommendation here is to go for Over 2.75 at 1.66 since this has the potential to be a high-scoring affair, especially with Leeds’ porous backline.
If you want to double down on this, you may also go for Total Goal 2-3 at 2.13, while Correct Score 2-1 at 7.80 and 3-0 at 8.00 in favour of the Gunners are also good bets.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR (⭐) BETS ARE WORTH:
⭐⭐⭐= €20 (HIGHLY CONFIDENT)
⭐⭐= €10 (CONFIDENT))
⭐= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT)
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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