Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta on Leeds United ahead of Saturday lunchtime’s Premier League clash at the Emirates.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has made a strong Leeds United declaration with Whites praise but a key Gunners man boost ahead of Saturday’s return to Premier League action at the Emirates.
Fourteen months on from hammering Leeds 5-0 at the Emirates last August, Arteta’s side will welcome Daniel Farke’s Whites for a second time in Saturday’s lunchtime kick-off which presents the first game back after the international break.
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Going back to last August, Farke’s side headed to the Emirates in just their second game of the season as a newly-promoted side as part of a difficult first half to the campaign.
Farke’s side, though, were then transformed by a formation change in last November’s 3-2 defeat at Manchester City, after which United lost just five more league games on the way to a very solid 14th-placed finish.
Leeds have now continued that strong form into the start of their second season back in the Premier League, all of which has led to Farke’s side sitting just three points and three places behind the second-placed Gunners ahead of Saturday’s showdown at the Emirates.
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Arteta, though, has declared that there is no surprise to fifth-placed United’s start to the new campaign, praising the team’s football and saying they fully deserve to sit where they are.
Speaking at Friday’s pre-match press conference and as quoted by Arsenal’s official website, Arteta was asked if he is surprised by Leeds’ start to the season.
"When I watch their games, no,” said the Gunners boss.
"We know their qualities, we talked to [the players] in the last two days”
"I think they fully deserve where they are because they've earned it, and they are there because I think they merit with a lot of great things that they've done throughout matches to be better than the opponent.
"We know their qualities, we talked to [the players] in the last two days, and we are fully ready for it."
Arsenal have had a fair amount of injury concerns leading up to Saturday’s visit of Leeds but the biggest name of the lot o f them appears fit to face the Whites.
Declan Rice pulled out of the England squad for the international break’s Nations League games but Arteta said: “We have to manage him because he's had a few issues since he's come back from the World Cup, and we know the amount of games he's played in the last three years.
“It was the sensible thing to do, and hopefully tomorrow he's available but some others are in doubt.”