Leeds United v Arsenal: YEP Jury give their big-match predictions

Our fans’ panel are desperate for Leeds United to put Tuesday night’s traumatic 7-0 defeat at Manchester City behind them with a morale-boosting display against Arsenal tomorrow. Here are their thoughts:
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DAVID WATKINS

Tuesday saw Leeds battered in a perfect storm; shorn of Patrick Bamford and Kalvin Phillips again, playing poorly all over the pitch and coming up against a rampant Man City side that looked like they were going to maul anyone getting in their way en route to another title!

We can’t do anything about the injury situation in time for Arsenal but the Gunners are no Manchester City and we can play much better individually and collectively than we did at the Etihad.

Diego Llorente shows his frustration as Manchester City's Riyad Mahrez, second right, celebrates scoring his side's fourth goal of the game on Tuesday night. Picture: Martin Rickett/PA Wire.Diego Llorente shows his frustration as Manchester City's Riyad Mahrez, second right, celebrates scoring his side's fourth goal of the game on Tuesday night. Picture: Martin Rickett/PA Wire.
Diego Llorente shows his frustration as Manchester City's Riyad Mahrez, second right, celebrates scoring his side's fourth goal of the game on Tuesday night. Picture: Martin Rickett/PA Wire.

In fact, it’s not so much that we can, we must.

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We need to put Tuesday behind us and show the quality, energy and spirit we managed to summon up for Stamford Bridge and, if we can, I’m convinced we can get a positive result.

In the past under Marcelo Bielsa, we’ve had the odd major setback but have always shown an immediate reaction and usually come out all guns blazing; nothing less will now do to get the City drubbing out of our systems so that neither fans nor players are fretting about it all over Christmas.

Come on Leeds, we are better than this!

Junior Firpo will be suspended for Leeds United's home clash with Arsenal. Picture: Alex Livesey/Getty Images.Junior Firpo will be suspended for Leeds United's home clash with Arsenal. Picture: Alex Livesey/Getty Images.
Junior Firpo will be suspended for Leeds United's home clash with Arsenal. Picture: Alex Livesey/Getty Images.

Prediction: Leeds United 2 Arsenal 0.

KEITH INGHAM

Where do you go after that? The humiliating 7-0 defeat at Manchester City sent Leeds to a new low in the tenure of Marcelo Bielsa.

The great man has had many highs but he admitted himself this was the worst they have played since he joined the club.

Leeds United's Jamie Shackleton receives treatment on the pitch at the Eithad Stadium, Manchester. Picture: Martin Rickett/PA Wire.Leeds United's Jamie Shackleton receives treatment on the pitch at the Eithad Stadium, Manchester. Picture: Martin Rickett/PA Wire.
Leeds United's Jamie Shackleton receives treatment on the pitch at the Eithad Stadium, Manchester. Picture: Martin Rickett/PA Wire.
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Against Arsenal at the weekend Leeds will have EIGHT first-team players out injured, while Firpo is suspended. I doubt any team could manage with that lengthy list.

The question asked by most, if not all fans, is why the situation has happened and most agree that Bielsa’s insistence on the smallest squad in the Premier League is part of the problem and maybe three seasons of Bielsa’s tough regime has just caught up with the players.

Remember they are only human and most would buckle under the effort he expects in training and playing.

Arsenal will come to Leeds on a high after their 2-0 victory at West Ham on Wednesday. The north London club started the season poorly and questions were raised about Mikel Arteta keeping his job but they have turned a corner and had had some good results until recently, when they were beaten by Everton, Liverpool and Man Utd on their travels.

Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa on the sidelines at the Eithad Stadium. Picture: Martin Rickett/PA Wire.Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa on the sidelines at the Eithad Stadium. Picture: Martin Rickett/PA Wire.
Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa on the sidelines at the Eithad Stadium. Picture: Martin Rickett/PA Wire.
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It’s pretty hard to see anything but an Arsenal win and probably by at least a couple of goals.

Many more defeats may put a serious question mark on whether Marcelo’s time at Leeds will continue in 2022 or whether he may himself decide he’s taken the club as far as he can.

Either way, it would be sad to see it happen but this cannot carry on for long or relegation will loom large.

Prediction: Leeds United 1 Arsenal 3.

JACOB STARR

Three points against Arsenal at Elland Road tomorrow would be most welcome, following a battering in midweek.

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To be honest, I didn’t expect much from the trip to the Etihad on Tuesday, but 7-0, good grief. We were well and truly outclassed by one of the world’s best, pretty embarrassing to say how well we played at Stamford Bridge. Raphinha not getting a fifth booking was the only good thing to happen, although Junior Firpo did, so he will be absent this weekend, whilst Jamie Shackleton came off injured.

Absentee after absentee, we just need to get this tough run of fixtures out of the way and then we might be able to field an XI somewhere closer to full strength.

This weekend does pose the best chance of us getting a win in this difficult period, though, with the Gunners facing an off-field issue during the week.

Pierre Emerick Aubameyang being stripped of the captaincy after a breach of discipline is not what Mikel Arteta would have wanted, but at least they didn’t suffer a 7-0 defeat...

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Being confident of getting a win after a drubbing would usually be described as mad. This is life as a Leeds fan.

Prediction: Leeds United 2 Arsenal 1.

ANDY RHODES

After what I think we can all call mixed performances over the past two games, Leeds go into tomorrow’s clash against Arsenal hoping for a reaction.

Even though no-one will have backed United on Tuesday night, the manner of the defeat was still surprising and disappointing.

Tomorrow could go one of two ways – either a magical atmosphere under the lights like against Brighton back when Chris Wood scored ‘that’ header, or the slump could continue.

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A reaction, though, could be difficult to muster with Leeds’ squad being further depleted through injury and suspension.

They’ll once again be reliant on a fast press from the front, as they were at Chelsea. You would hope that Arsenal will give Leeds some of the ball, just as Chelsea did. If that happens, Adam Forshaw will be able to dictate play again, while Tyler Roberts may get chances out wide.

We’ve all been crying for Joe Gelhardt to play from the start, but it’s at the back where Leeds’ strength in depth is really being tested.

Prediction: Leeds United 2 Arsenal 2.

MIKE GILL

Despite all the problems, Leeds gave a great account of themselves at Chelsea and everybody expected a fighting performance at Manchester City, if not a positive result.

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Instead, their severely-depleted side was taken apart by City at their impressive best. To make matters worse, Jamie Shackleton received a serious-looking knock and Junior Firpo collected another yellow card which precludes him from selection against the Gunners.

Of course, Marcelo Bielsa takes the blame for the City game squarely on his shoulders but everyone knows that his resources have been stretched to the limit.

There is unlikely to be much good news from the physios and so it will be another injury-ravaged side that faces Arsenal.

Our record against the Gunners under Bielsa isn’t a good one; we have lost three of four encounters. And yet, as evidenced at Stamford Bridge, this Leeds side can find hidden reserves of strength in adversity.

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Let’s hope that Santa can dig into his tattered sack and find the last remaining lucky bag of 2021.

Prediction: Leeds United 2 Arsenal 2.

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