Leeds United vs Arsenal. Premier League.
Elland Road.
Thomas Partey misses out for Arsenal as he continues recovery from thigh injury, but Leeds' Kalvin Phillips is back in contention; watch Leeds vs Arsenal on Super Sunday from 4pm on Sky Sports Premier League; kick-off 4.30pm
Sunday 22 November 2020 19:44, UK
Team news and stats ahead of Leeds vs Arsenal in the Premier League on Sunday, live on Sky Sports (kick-off 4.30pm).
Leeds midfielder Kalvin Phillips is back in contention and expected to start Sunday's home Premier League game against Arsenal. Phillips tore shoulder ligaments in last month's home defeat to Wolves and has missed Leeds' last three Premier League matches, including successive 4-1 defeats to Leicester and Crystal Palace.
Leeds will also be boosted by the return of club-record signing Rodrigo, who has also missed the last two games after a period of isolation having recently tested positive for Covid-19.
Phillips' return is offset by news Pablo Hernandez will miss out due to a minor muscle strain, while fellow midfielder Jamie Shackleton (thigh) and defender Diego Llorente (groin) remain sidelined.
Skipper Liam Cooper, Stuart Dallas, Mateusz Klich, Tyler Roberts, Robin Koch and Ezgjan Alioski are all available following international duty.
Arsenal will be without Thomas Partey as the Ghana international continues to recover from a thigh injury suffered in the defeat to Aston Villa.
Mohamed Elneny and Sead Kolasinac are also unavailable after the pair both tested positive for Covid-19 during the international break.
Gabriel Martinelli (knee) is out but long-term absentees Calum Chambers and Pablo Mari are now back in full training, although a lack of match fitness means they are unlikely to feature at this stage.
Leeds vs Arsenal will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Premier League from 4pm on Super Sunday; kick-off at 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.
Leeds come into Sunday's clash with Arsenal on a similarly patchy run of form to the Gunners, with three defeats from four and back-to-back 4-1 thumpings at the hands of Leicester and Crystal Palace.
Marcelo Bielsa's side have conceded the joint-highest number of goals across the Premier League this season, and Sky Sports pundit Alan Smith told the Pitch to Post preview podcast it could provide the invitation Arsenal need to find their shooting boots at Elland Road.
"It'll be quite an open game, this is what Leicester profited from and that might help Arsenal," he said. "It's a difficult one to call as they always are after the international break, the coaches have only had their players back for maybe a day and a half or so. People come back at varying degrees of fitness and fatigue and it can be unpredictable.
"For Leeds to have lost their last two games 4-1, there's pressure on them to bounce back and on Bielsa to fix what has gone wrong. I'd have to fancy the Gunners, they've got their own agenda and want to bounce back from the Villa game and get back to the levels they have achieved. Perhaps a close-fought away win."
At least 146 Premier League games will be shown live on Sky Sports in the 2020/21 season. The Premier League has further increased the number of televised games this season from 200 to 231, with over half of the extra fixtures set to be shown live on Sky Sports.
Overall, Sky Sports will be showing at least 146 Premier League matches live throughout the 2020/21 season, continuing to bring you all the latest twists, turns and shocks at the home of the Premier League.
There will also be two additional midweek programmes - one will be played across the weeks commencing January 11 and 18 and the second will be in the week commencing May 10. All of these games will be broadcast live.
You can also follow the action with our dedicated live blogs on the Sky Sports website and app, and watch free match highlights from every game shortly after full-time on our digital platforms and YouTube channel.
We all love watching Leeds, who have never previously lost three consecutive League games under Marcelo Bielsa.
But that might be about to change.
Bielsa's boys mixed start on their return to the Premier League can be underlined by the defensive issues that have been apparent since their opening day defeat at Liverpool. Whilst no side outside the current top seven have scored more than Leeds' 14 goals, they have the joint-worst defence in the Premier League, along with West Brom.
With Leeds being sexy in attack but vulnerable at the back, they are the type of opponent Mikel Arteta has a habit of being able to deactivate.
On the outside Arteta looks to bred from the same stable as Pep Guardiola but there's more chance of him being related to Sam Allardyce judged on his desire for the defence.
The difference in this one may just well be Arsenal's summer signing Gabriel Magalhaes, who has settled in quickly and in assured fashion, bringing a much sought-after composure to a defence that has come under regular criticism in recent seasons. His threat in the opposition box shouldn't be underestimated either against a side that have shipped eight goals from set-pieces this season. He's 33/1 to open the scoring.
I can forsee a very tactically astute Arsenal win in a style very similar to what Leicester did to Leeds in their 4-1 victory.
JONES KNOWS PREDICTS: 1-2 (15/2 with Sky Bet)
Alan Smith joins Peter Smith on this week's Pitch to Post Preview Podcast to discuss Pep Guardiola's new Man City contract, Tottenham's title hopes and what's going wrong at Arsenal.
Plus, Sky Sports News reporter Vinny O'Connor has the latest on Liverpool's growing injury list ahead of their clash with Leicester, and his colleague Mark McAdam lifts the lid on Southampton's strong start to the season.
Plus Sky Sports football journalist Ron Walker talks Leicester and West Ham, and makes his Pitch for what will happen in the Premier League this weekend.
Download the Sky Sports Pitch to Post Podcast on Apple | Spotify
