Arsenal vs Leeds United preview, H2H, team news, line-ups and prediction

Arsenal will hope to record their seventh consecutive win against Leeds United when they welcome the newly promoted side to the Emirates Stadium on matchweek 2 of the Premier League on 23 August 2025.

It has been more than twenty years since Arsenal last won the Premier League. While five FA Cup triumphs have provided some consolation during that spell, the pursuit of a 14th league crown remains the central focus in north London.

A third successive runners-up finish under Mikel Arteta last season has only intensified the hunger to go one better, finally. Three years. Three title races. Three near misses. Three times fans with Arsenal tickets have been left disappointed.

After falling just short in each of the past three campaigns, the Emirates faithful — along with everyone inside the club — enter 2025-26 with the fervent hope that this season will be different.

Arteta has moulded Arsenal into an exceptionally consistent outfit, incredibly difficult to beat, yet the decisive step to clinch the title has remained elusive. Following a summer of significant investment and thorough preparation, the question is whether this will be the season their progress is rewarded with silverware.

The club’s recruitment has underlined their ambition, with close to £200 million spent — already the second-highest outlay in their history. Martin Zubimendi, one of Europe’s most sought-after deep-lying midfielders, arrived first, followed by Noni Madueke and the prolific Viktor Gyökeres. The latter two signings, in particular, hint at a more direct and physically imposing approach in attack.

Arsenal will be determined to avoid a repeat of last season’s frustration, when they recorded 14 Premier League draws — a figure bettered only by Everton’s 15. Remarkably, they surrendered the lead in nine of their 12 score draws. Had they been more ruthless in those moments, a handful of results might have swung their way. Many observers will argue that adopting a more aggressive attacking mindset could prove decisive this time.

After their opening-day clash against Manchester United, their second opportunity to showcase that attacking intent comes against a Leeds United side they have dominated in recent history. The Gunners are unbeaten in their last 14 meetings with the West Yorkshire club, winning 12 and drawing twice, including a current run of six straight victories. Arteta’s men will take to the Emirates pitch fully confident of extending that streak to seven against last season’s Championship winners.

Leeds have finally made their return to the Premier League at the second attempt, doing so in emphatic fashion by clinching the Championship title with a century of points, 29 wins, and an impressive 95 goals scored.

Their dominance at Elland Road was unmatched — 18 home victories, 61 goals scored, and just 12 conceded — a fortress that proved crucial, with 58% of their league wins coming on home turf. That same resilience will be vital if they are to maintain their long-awaited top-flight status.

Replicating such form on the road will be the real test, especially as they prepare for a daunting opener in North London. Leeds have not tasted victory over Arsenal since a 3-2 triumph against Arsène Wenger’s side on 4 May 2003, and upsetting the Gunners’ current formidable defence will demand far more than just a strong home record.

The question now is can Leeds resist the Championship’s pull and escape the fate that often consigns promoted clubs to a single-season stint? Daniel Farke appears determined to do so, overhauling his squad with seven summer arrivals to inject much-needed height and bite into last season’s technically gifted but physically lighter group. Lucas Perri, Jaka Bijol, Sebastiaan Bornauw, Gabriel Gudmundsson, Sean Longstaff, and Anton Stach have shored up the defence, midfield, and goalkeeping positions. But with Lukas Nmecha the only attacking addition so far, reinforcements up front remain essential if they are to trouble Mikel Arteta’s watertight backline.

Arsenal vs Leeds United match details

• Date: Saturday, 23rd August, 2025
• Location: London, England
• Venue: Emirates Stadium
• Kick-off time: 5:30pm BST
• Tickets: You can browse ticket options on resale platforms like Seatsnet.

Match stats and head-to-head 

• Across all competitions, these teams have faced each other 127 times, with the first meeting taking place on 20 December 1924 in Division One — a game Arsenal won 6-1.

• Arsenal have claimed 53 victories in this fixture, while Leeds have won 41, with 33 encounters ending in stalemates.

• The Gunners have recorded six straight wins over Leeds, a sequence that began with a 4-1 Premier League triumph at Emirates Stadium on 14 February 2021.

• Arsenal are unbeaten in their last 14 meetings with the reigning EFL Championship winners, winning 12 of those matches and drawing twice.

• Leeds are seeking their first victory against Arsenal since overcoming Arsène Wenger’s side 3-2 in a Premier League match on 4 May 2003.

Team news

Belgium international Leandro Trossard was missing from the London club’s lineup in the 3-0 triumph over Athletic Bilbao on Saturday, their last warm-up fixture before the new campaign.

Although the 30-year-old may not be the primary choice in the forward positions, the Arsenal manager will still desire a complete roster at his disposal.

While Bukayo Saka and Viktor Gyökeres, who scored his first goal against Athletic Club, appear confident to start, the left-wing role presents a challenging decision.

Gabriel Martinelli has gone five pre-season matches without scoring, though he has created two goals for his teammates. The Brazilian has occasionally found it difficult to impose himself against low-block opponents, which could open the door for newcomer Noni Madueke to feature from the outset against Leeds.

On Leeds’ side, Jayden Bogle and recent signing Sebastiaan Bornauw sat out the 1-1 draw with AC Milan on Saturday due to fitness issues. Daniel Farke expressed hope that Bogle – sidelined with a hip problem – could recover sufficiently to feature in the opening fixture against Everton.

Bornauw is also expected to rejoin training at Thorp Arch this week, marking his first involvement since withdrawing from the initial session of their pre-season camp in Germany last month. His calf issue had initially been estimated to keep him out for only a fortnight.

Jaka Bijol is expected to be available for the trip to the Emirates in their second league match after serving his suspension in the opening game against Everton, following his suspension in his last match for Udinese, which will carry over into his debut campaign in England.

Leeds’ attacking options remain limited, with Lukas Nmecha the only striker to join this summer. Meanwhile, Mateo Joseph and Patrick Bamford are anticipated to depart.

Dan James and Jack Harrison were both absent against Villarreal due to injury concerns, and their involvement in this match hinges on a late fitness test.

Predicted starting lineup

Arsenal predicted starting lineup:

Raya, Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori, Zubimendi, Rice, Odegaard, Saka, Gyökeres, Martinelli.

Leeds United predicted starting lineup:

Meslier, Ayling, Cooper, Koch, Dallas; Phillips, Klich, Harrison, Raphinha, Rodrigo; Bamford.

Prediction

Arsenal endured a frustrating run against last season’s mid-table opposition, securing victory in just six of their 18 fixtures versus the nine clubs that placed between seventh and 15th. Not once did they manage to complete a league double over any of those sides.

It was this resilient middle bracket that ultimately undermined their campaign, winning only 33.3% of those encounters in contrast to a 70% success rate (14 out of 20) against the remainder of the division. With their squad depth now bolstered, they will need to capitalise more often in such match-ups, particularly against opponents like Leeds, if they are to turn these stumbling blocks into points in the coming term.

Leeds, under Daniel Farke, found the net 95 times in the Championship — far surpassing Burnley’s 69 and Sunderland’s 58. This potency in the attacking third distinguishes them from their fellow promoted sides. Possessing the most Premier League-ready group among the newcomers, they have addressed physicality over the summer by recruiting robust, imposing players, signalling an awareness of the tactical tweaks required — a development that can only be viewed positively.

Despite this, history offers little encouragement for their trip to the Emirates. To extract anything from a clash with Mikel Arteta’s disciplined and well-drilled defensive unit, the Peacocks will need to operate at their absolute peak.

We’re predicting a 3-1 win for Arsenal.