'I'm playing against my mate Pepe again' - Gjanni Alioski's Arsenal glee revealed by Leeds United team-mate Patrick Bamford

Patrick Bamford is excited for the chance to take on Arsenal at The Emirates on Sunday and so too is Leeds United Gjanni Alioski, albeit for different reasons.
FLASH POINT - Gjanni Alioski and Nicolas Pepe will meet again when Leeds United visit Arsenal on Sunday. Pic: GettyFLASH POINT - Gjanni Alioski and Nicolas Pepe will meet again when Leeds United visit Arsenal on Sunday. Pic: Getty
FLASH POINT - Gjanni Alioski and Nicolas Pepe will meet again when Leeds United visit Arsenal on Sunday. Pic: Getty

The Whites top goalscorer believes the team are in good form, after wins over Leicester City and Crystal Palace and a game against Everton from which they deserved at least a point, ahead of a clash with the side sitting directly below them in the table.

Tenth-placed Leeds have 32 points from their 22 Premier League fixtures, while Arsenal sit a point behind having played a game more.

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Marcelo Bielsa's men take some momentum into the game, as does Bamford who scored his 11th and 12th top flight goals of the season against Leicester and Palace.

"The last three games, not just personally but as a team have been excellent," he said on the club's official podcast."The second half against Everton they had the Calvert-Lewin chance but we had them penned in. Their keeper has pulled off three or four really good saves and we definitely deserved a point, arguably all three."

Survival was the aim for Leeds this season and it's looking a safer bet each week. Bamford is happy to admit no one at Leeds expected to be in their current situation when the campaign kicked off. But now that they're past the halfway mark of the season, he's relishing the chance to go to Arsenal and try to continue to confound expectations.

"Start of the season if you'd said you're going to play Arsenal away in February and you're going to be ahead of them in the league I don't think anyone would have believed it," he said.

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"That's just the way it's gone. I'm excited about it. It will suit us, we'll see how we'll get on. We don't want to get ahead of ourselves but we want to be looking forward and seeing how far we can get."

He's not the only one excited for the visit to Arsenal. Alioski was the centre of controversy in the first meeting of the clubs at Elland Road when he was the victim of an attempted headbutt from Nicolas Pépé. The Gunners man was sent off and Mikel Arteta's side hung on for a 0-0 draw. At full-time Kieran Tierney had to be pulled away from Alioski as he remonstrated with the Leeds man.

Bamford revealed how Alioski, so often a nuisance for opposition sides, feels as the reunion approaches.

"You know what, he said in the changing room the other day 'I can't wait for Sunday.' I was like why, he was like 'I'm playing against my mate Pepe again.' I was like no way," laughed the striker.

"He's the worst, he never shuts up either."

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Both clubs released statements following the game, condemning 'vile abuse' sent to both players on social media.

Today various English footballing authorities have joined forces to send an open letter to Facebook and Twitter, calling for action to protect players from online abuse.

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