"Where we are" - Leeds United fans in complete agreement on Arsenal clash with Premier League swipe

Leeds United face a trip to champions Arsenal in their first game back after the international break - but what do the club’s fans think? Here is what our YEP Jury have had to say including complete agreement on the predictions front - but only just - and a swipe at the Premier League.

DAVID WATKINS

At last! This interminable international break is over, and we can get back to some competitive football!

Then again, after last week's Manchester City revelations, maybe we should question whether Premier League competition is all it’s cracked up to be!

It seems an age since that stalemate at Elland Road against Crystal Palace, which slightly dampened our early-season optimism, and now we face a run of fixtures that will really show us where we are in the pecking order. We start with a trip to Arsenal, where we have traditionally struggled – eight defeats in our last nine visits.

There is just a glimmer of hope this time, though; the current Gunners showed they are no Invincibles when they were trounced 3-0 by Brighton last time out.

Leeds grabbed a draw down on the south coast a couple of weeks earlier, and we start this next segment of the season only three points adrift of the Londoners and still unbeaten. We’ve been playing well, and our players have continued their good form with their respective nations; Dare we dream?

I can’t quite bring myself to believe we can finally get something at the Emirates, but if we can, then we can definitely start to dream.

Prediction: Arsenal 3 Leeds United 1.

KEITH INGHAM

After the longest international break since the World Cup in Qatar, Leeds United finally return to Premier League action – and it doesn’t get much tougher than a trip to the Emirates to face the reigning champions, Arsenal.

The Gunners have made a strong start to the season – their last game before the international break, however ended in a surprising 3-0 defeat at Brighton, giving Leeds at least a little something to hope for as they head to north London.

There’s no escaping what happened in the two meetings between these sides last season. Leeds were beaten on both occasions, with a painful 9-0 aggregate scoreline.

Yet those results perhaps didn’t tell the whole story. Leeds had their moments in both games, but once Arsenal found their way ahead, they simply steamrolled their opponents.

Make no mistake, this is a tough, tough game. Arsenal will be favourites, particularly at home and Leeds will have to be at their very best for 90 minutes. But this Leeds side has already shown that it isn’t frightened of anyone.

If we can match Arsenal’s intensity and stay disciplined, there is absolutely no reason why Leeds cannot come away from the Emirates with something.

Prediction: Heart: Arsenal 1-1 Leeds United. Head: 2-1 Arsenal.

NEIL GREWER

Last season Leeds were destroyed by Arsenal with a 9-0 aggregate hammering. Arsenal were the only team to truly take Leeds to the cleaners.

This season I expect closer encounters.

Both teams have benefited from continuity in management and in their base teams from last season, and both have improved, but Leeds have improved more, although from a lower base.

Both are unbeaten in the league, but this will likely change as I expect Arsenal to be victorious again.

Last season, set piece defence and goalkeeping cost Leeds whilst, certainly at the Emirates, attacking options were poor – this season attacking/holding the ball up options are a vast improvement as is the goalkeeper.

To date, we have not seen many quality saves from James Trafford but on Saturday he will certainly have a chance to impress.

Daniel Farke is continually surprising supporters with tactical switches so his line up will be interesting, and I would expect a more cautious approach with wing backs being more defensive than usual and more bite and solidity in midfield – maybe a 5-4-1 formation out of possession.

Prediction: Arsenal 2 Leeds United 0.

EVAN SEAMAN

This weekend, Leeds United travel to Arsenal as they look to continue their unbeaten start to the season after a long international break.

After the first five games of the season, Leeds find themselves in fifth place and have proved a lot of their critics wrong as some put them down to be in another relegation battle.

In terms of style of play, both Leeds and Arsenal prefer a possession-based game, so it will be interesting to see how Daniel Farke’s side will set up against the current title holders Arsenal.

As for injuries, Arsenal will be without William Saliba who’s still got a back problem, and Christos Tzolis also has a thigh injury.

Leeds will have to cope without no-nonsense centre-back Joe Rodon and Harry Wilson, but Dominic Calvert-Lewin will be hoping he can continue his outstanding goalscoring form.

Arsenal are second in the table, three points off leaders Manchester City.

But they might be vulnerable at the minute because their last game was a surprising 3-0 defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion so they will be looking to bounce back.

Prediction: Arsenal 2 Leeds United 1.

MIKE GILL

As the long international break comes to an end, it almost feels like the start of a new season.

Hostilities will resume for Leeds United with the toughest fixture possible against champions Arsenal.

Leeds will restart their season hoping to build on their impressive first five games without defeat.

The Whites sit just three points behind the Gunners with an identical goal difference but everybody knows that the gap in class between the two clubs is very wide indeed.

No team outshone the Whites last season like Arsenal did.

It’s painful to recall the nine goals that Leeds conceded without reply over the two fixtures but this should motivate the Whites to do much better this time around.

Incredibly Arsenal lost 3-0 at Brighton and Hove Albion just before the break and you only have to go back to last April for a rare home defeat against Bournemouth.

Arsenal fans will be expecting the champions to bounce back against United whose recent record against the Gunners is truly appalling.

Nevertheless, I’m looking for an improvement on last season’s performance, if not the result.

Prediction: Arsenal 1 Leeds United 0.