Arsenal vs Leeds betting preview: odds and predictions

PREMIER League leaders Arsenal head into the home straight knowing they will be champions if they win nine of their last 10 games. First up are Leeds.

Arsenal vs Leeds odds

Here are the latest match odds for Manchester Arsenal vs Leeds.

Arsenal vs Leeds betting preview

While Arsenal have been nothing short of magnificent for the first two thirds of the season, questions are still being asked about whether or not they are the real deal.

Now being judged to different standards than they were at the start of the campaign, the fact is they will only answer that question positively if they manage to win the title from their current position of strength – they are eight points clear of only rivals Manchester City, who have a game in hand.

To keep the doubters at bay, they need to win games such as this.

Leeds are one of nine sides involved in the relegation battle and have won only twice away from home so far.

They’ve now lost key midfield Tyler Adams, probably for the rest of the season, while another star man, Willy Gnonto, was last seen limping out of Italy’s game in Malta.

Arsenal’s Thomas Partey missed Ghana’s game with Angola on Monday which will concern fans of the hosts, who could recall Gabriel Jesus to the starting XI for the first time in months.

Partey’s absence would only enhance the claims that there will be goals in this game.

Arsenal have been free-scoring, particularly at home, where they have often appeared to be happy to simply out-score the opposition without too much concern about clean sheets.

Leeds have scored the most of that endangered bottom nine. In fact, their tally of 35 is only four shy of Newcastle’s 39.

They will certainly be no pushovers, having already won at Liverpool and drawn at both Man Utd and Newcastle.

Still, Arsenal have won 22 of 28 league games and should have the extra quality to get the job done.

Best betting offers for Arsenal vs Leeds

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Arsenal vs Leeds key stats

• Arsenal boast the best home record in the league having won 35 out of a possible 42 points at the Emirates Stadium.
• Nine of Arsenal’s 11 home wins have seen both teams score.
• Leeds have scored more goals (35) than any of the bottom nine clubs currently threatened by relegation.
• Tyler Adams is definitely out for Leeds after hamstring surgery, while in-form forward Willy Gnonto and defender Max Wober are both doubts after picking up injuries on international duty.
• Thomas Partey is Arsenal’s main concern after he was forced to miss Ghana’s game on Monday.

Arsenal vs Leeds best bets

Arsenal to win and both teams to score

In the 11 games Arsenal have won at home this season, this has remarkably happened on nine occasions.

While their success on the road has been more based on a solid defensive record (including nine wins ‘to nil’) on home turf they’ve been happy to attack in a way which suggests they are confident of beating almost anyone in an open, attacking game.

With Leeds the highest scorers among the strugglers, it would be no surprise to see this bet land again.

Any Arsenal victory is at 2/7 but throw in the BTTS option and that becomes a much more palatable 2/1.

Granit Xhaka to score at any time

Xhaka has played a more advanced role this season and that’s resulted in him enjoying the best goalscoring season of his career – he has six for Arsenal so far.

He’s scored in his last two appearances for the Gunners, while confidence should still be soaring after he added another during the international window when playing for Switzerland.

Arsenal have blasted the lower-ranked sides aside. All six relegation candidates who have visited the Emirates this season have conceded at least three times. Four of them shipped 4+ goals.

With Leeds having conceded 2+ in eight of 14 away games, there looks a good chance they could go the same way and if that’s the case then Xhaka could well get involved.

At 5/1, he’s worth a bet.

Weston McKennie to be carded

The American, currently on loan at Leeds from Juventus, could be in for a tough afternoon here.

With his international team-mate Tyler Adams out, Leeds will need others to be crunching into tackles in midfield and much of that burden looks likely to fall on McKennie.

The Juve man is clearly still adapting to life in the English top flight – in his six Premier League starts so far, he’s been booked in four of them.

Darren England is ‘carding’ above the league average and with Leeds once again towards the bottom of the fair-play table, McKennie looks a decent price to go into the notebook.

How to watch Arsenal vs Leeds

• Location: Emirates Stadium, London, England.
• Time: Saturday, April 1, 15:00 BST.
• Where to watch: the game is not being televised live in the UK.

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