Leeds United manager Daniel Farke
Leeds United are set to welcome the Premier League leaders Arsenal to Elland Road this afternoon.
Former Arsenal player Paul Merson claimed it is the Gunners’ biggest game of the season, with the entire Premier League now firmly aware of the challenge playing at Elland Road has presented some of the Premier League’s finest teams this season.
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Daniel Farke’s men have lost just one of their last just one of their last six Premier League matches at home, but that good run of form is set to be put under immense pressure during the Arsenal game.
One of Leeds’ midfielders acknowledged this when previewing the match, as the Whites will be hoping this game against Arsenal is far more competitive than the reverse fixture, which they lost 5-0.
Ilia Gruev looks ahead to pivotal Arsenal clash
Gruev, 25, has been impressive in the heart of United’s midfield as of late after there were initial doubts as to whether the Bulgarian possessed the quality required to play in the Premier League.
However, Gruev has seemingly put this question to bed for now, starting the last five Premier League matches in a row instead of Ao Tanaka, whose form was recently criticised by Graham Smyth.
At this moment in time, Leeds look like a more solid team with Gruev in it and that defensive stability will be something Leeds have to lean on when they play Arsenal, with the Bulgarian previewing the upcoming match in an interview with Premier League Productions (via Leeds United’s official website).
“We of course know the past results of us and Arsenal but at the end it comes down to 90 minutes,” Gruev said.
“We know that it is really tough to play at Elland Road with the fans and the atmosphere. So, we will give our best, we will play aggressively and try to win the points at home.
“It is going to be an intense game. I think it is important to play aggressively and press often because I think if you only stay deeper and wait the whole time, they have too much quality. So, you have to find your moments.
“There are going to be periods where we have to suffer a little bit and not concede a goal. But then we need to find our moments to take the crowd with us. We know our results at home, we know how tough it is to play at our place, so we want to show this again.”
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Data suggests Ilia Gruev has added defensive stability to Leeds
Whilst he may not be the flashiest player, Gruev has proven effective for Leeds in keeping possession in the middle of the park, particularly in tough away games and when the Whites face some of the top teams in the Premier League at Elland Road.
In the last five Premier League games that Gruev has started, Leeds have kept two clean sheets
They have also limited the opposition to just one goal in the other two of these five games
The one exception in this run was the chaotic seven-goal thriller against Newcastle
With Arsenal having trouble creating chances from open play as of late and with a front line that is far from firing on all cylinders, the Arsenal clash at Elland Road seems to be tailor-made for Gruev.
Whilst leaving with any type of result is unlikely, Farke deploying Gruev over Tanaka in this type of game will help Leeds’ chances radically.
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