Arsenal predicted line-up vs Leeds Utd as Arteta reverts to full strength

Arsenal will be aiming to keep their fantastic run of form going when they make the tricky trip to Leeds to test themselves against Jesse Marsch's men on Sunday afternoon.

The Gunners currently sit top of the Premier League having won eight of their opening nine league games, while also winning three from three when it comes to Europa League action this term. Their single defeat came on the road, at Old Trafford when Manchester United ran out 3-1 winners on the day.

Mikel Arteta will be wary of that, though Arsenal's away from has hardly been patchy. Their most recent outing came in the form of a 1-0 win away at Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt, whose stadium is situated inside the arctic circle.

With that in mind, the conditions at Elland Road will be no excuse when the two sides meet. Arteta is likely to ring out the changes from the side who toppled Bodo on Thursday night.

Despite what was Matt Turner's best game between the sticks since he arrived at Arsenal in the summer, Aaron Ramsdale will almost certainly come back in as goalkeeper having sat out the recent European tie.

Ben White has been near-faultless at right-back all season, despite the fact that the £50million defender was signed as a centre-back from Brighton last summer. The 24-year-old has been tasked with facing some of the league's best wide-players such as Wilfried Zaha and Heung-Min Son, but got the better of most.

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For that reason, he'll keep his place for the visit to a ground he knows all too well from his season-long loan spell at Leeds during their Championship-winning campaign of 2019/20.

At the heart of the Arsenal defence will be the pairing Arteta has trusted all season in Gabriel Magalhaes and man of the moment William Saliba as they try to keep the likes of Rodrygo and Patrick Bamford quiet.

Takehiro Tomiyasu spent all season at right-back last term, but with White's stellar showings the Japan international has had to find another way into the fold. His performance at left-back against Liverpool last Sunday was nothing short of sensational, leaving Mohamed Salah to feed off scraps before he was hooked off before the full-time whistle.

Though Oleksandr Zinchenko is an injury doubt, Kieran Tierney is fit but it would surely be impossible to drop Tomiyasu after his display against the Reds last week.

In midfield there will be no surprises as Thomas Partey and Granit Xhaka look to continue the partnership that has been so productive for Arteta's side this season. Their only defeat cameat a time when the former was ruled out of action injured, but if Partey is fit - he plays.

In front of that duo, club captain Martin Odegaard will try to pull the strings in an attacking sense while he's flanked by young duo Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka either side of him. Both of the aforementioned wingers were on the scoresheet last time out in the league and will be aiming for more of the same at Elland Road.

Standout performer of the season so far Gabriel Jesus will lead the line for the Gunners, with his absence in Norway on Thursday purely a precaution rather than to do with any kind of fitness issues.

Predicted Arsenal XI vs Leeds (4-2-3-1): Ramsdale; White, Gabriel, Saliba, Tomiyasu; Partey, Xhaka; Odegaard Martinelli, Saka; Jesus

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