Arsenal welcome Leeds United to the Emirates Stadium in the second round of the Premier League 2025/26 season, with both sides looking to build on opening-day victories. The match kicks off on August 23 at 19:30 East African Time and promises to be an exciting clash between two teams eager to maintain their early momentum.
Both clubs come into this encounter on three points. Arsenal secured a hard-fought 1-0 win away at Manchester United, showcasing defensive resilience and efficient finishing. Leeds, newly promoted, also started on a high with a 1-0 triumph over Everton, underlining their intent to compete strongly this season.
The Gunners hold a dominant record against Leeds, winning each of the last five meetings across all competitions. Their most recent meeting at the Emirates ended 4-1 in April 2023, with Gabriel Jesus scoring twice. Leeds will need to overcome this psychological barrier if they are to get something from this fixture.
Arsenal Team News
Arsenal looked solid defensively against Manchester United, with William Saliba and Gabriel forming a commanding partnership at the back and David Raya providing calm assurance in goal. Jurrien Timber and Myles Lewis-Skelly could feature at full-back as Mikel Arteta looks to keep his squad fresh early in the campaign.
In midfield, the trio of Martin Zubimendi, Declan Rice, and Martin Ødegaard will again aim to control possession and dictate the tempo. Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli are expected to provide width, while new signing Viktor Gyökeres is pushing to score his first goal for the club after a quiet debut.
Arsenal will be without Christian Nørgaard, Kai Havertz, and Gabriel Jesus, who are sidelined through injury. Ben White remains a doubt with a minor fitness concern.
Leeds Team News
Daniel Farke’s Leeds side are likely to adopt a compact setup, looking to absorb pressure and hit on the counter with the pace of Dan James and Wilfried Gnonto. Their attack has been boosted by the additions of Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Noah Okafor, although Calvert-Lewin faces a late fitness test.
Ethan Ampadu is ruled out with a knee injury, while Sebastiaan Bornauw is doubtful due to a calf problem. Despite these setbacks, Leeds have shown resilience and will believe they can test Arsenal if they remain disciplined.
Predicted Lineups
Arsenal: Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori; Ødegaard, Zubimendi, Rice; Saka, Gyökeres, Martinelli
Leeds: Perri; Bogle, Rodon, Struijk, Gudmundsson; Stach, Gruev, Tanaka; Gnonto, Nmecha, Harrison
