Match Preview

Leeds v Arsenal

Leeds boss Terry Venables believes Arsenal counterpart Arsene Wenger stands on the brink of greatness.

Venables and Wenger cross swords in a high-noon showdown at Elland Road, with reigning Premier League champions Arsenal seemingly invincible as the Frenchman has confidently claimed.

The Gunners are on a 22-match unbeaten run away from Highbury, while if they do not lose to Leeds they will equal Manchester United's 29-game unbeaten Premiership record.

They are also scoring goals for fun as witnessed by their 4-0 hammering of PSV in Eindhoven on Thursday as they finally found a cure for their Champions League travel sickness.

If Arsenal find a way past Paul Robinson, it will be for the 47th consecutive game and they will stand on their own in the record books as they are currently level with Chesterfield.

Venables believes Arsenal, who also added the FA Cup to their burgeoning silverware cabinet last season, can go on to dominate the English game for the next decade.

All that remains is for Wenger to crack Europe as Venables said: "I think, maybe, for the first time they've a real chance to actually go all the way (in the Champions League).

"If that happened then I think it would be fair to say Arsene Wenger would go down as a great manager. Certainly, over the six years he can be truly delighted with what he has done, and they are the team of the moment. I saw them on Wednesday (in Eindhoven) and they were excellent, top class. They are at the top of their game. They're a good team, but then they've been a good team for a long while, but after six years they're better than they've been before. They're just playing with a supreme confidence."

Venables could be without his first-choice centre-back pairing for the game.

Skipper Dominic Matteo is again doubtful with his on-going knee problem, while Jonathan Woodgate sustained a hamstring strain in training earlier this week.

If both are sidelined, Venables is likely to draft Danny Mills into the centre from right-back alongside Lucas Radebe, with Gary Kelly filling in for Mills.

Venables is at least buoyed by the fact striker Alan Smith and winger Harry Kewell are fit despite an ankle problem and sickness respectively earlier this week.

Meanwhile, Dennis Bergkamp has been ruled out of Arsenal's next three games after sustaining an Achilles injury during the Champions League victory over PSV Eindhoven.

Bergkamp will miss the game at Leeds, next week's trip to Auxerre and the weekend visit of Sunderland after being kicked on his Achilles.

Arsenal are also now without Martin Keown (hamstring), meaning Pascal Cygan will make his full debut in defence.

Ray Parlour (hamstring) and Edu (groin) will also be missing at Elland Road giving Fredrik Ljungberg little chance of being rested after three consecutive games.

Boss Wenger feels a key man for Leeds will be Paul Robinson and he has been impressed with the development of the goalkeeper.

"Robinson looks to me as though he's made a step forward. He is more composed and certainly looks a promising goalkeeper," he added.

"Leeds aspire to be genuine title challengers and rightly so. Tell me who is not an international in that side. You would have problems to find one. They are a growing team, they are still young and they can only get better from year to year. They are a mature team in experience terms though. They were in the semi-finals of the Champions League two years ago, after all. They were also a physical side last season and I think they still are."

HEAD TO HEAD NOTES

  • Last season's equivalent fixture was an uninspiring 1-1 draw with Robbie Fowler scoring his seventh goal in seven matches for Leeds and Robert Pires equalising with his eighth of the season.
  • Arsenal have won one of their last six visits to Leeds. That was 0-4 on 16 April, 2000 when Thierry Henry, Martin Keown, Nwankwo Kanu, and Marc Overmars were all on target.
  • Leeds are chasing a third win in six home Premiership meetings with the Gunners.
  • Peter Lorimer was the last player to score a hat trick in this corresponding fixture. He took home the match ball after Leeds' 6-1 win in the old First Division on 9 May, 1973.
  • Arsenal have kept clean sheets in each of their last four League wins at Leeds.
  • Leeds biggest win in this corresponding fixture was 6-1 on 9 May, 1973. Arsenal's best League win at Leeds was 0-5 on 8 November, 1980. Both matches were in the former League - Division One.

    LEEDS UNITED

    Sequences
  • GONE 18 PREMIERSHIP MATCHES SINCE A DRAW

    Recent Form
  • 3 wins in last 4 League and Cup games
  • Won 6 of last 9 Premiership matches
  • Drawn 0 of last 8 in all competitions
  • 3 draws in last 22 top flight encounters
  • Lost 3 of last 8 confrontations
  • 3 defeats in last 5 top division duels
  • Failed to score in 2 of last 8 contests
  • Failed to find the net in 2 of the last 9 League clashes
  • 3 clean sheets in last 8
  • Managed 7 clean sheets in last 12 top tier League outings

    Potential Career Milestones
  • Nick BARMBY is one strike away from registering 50 career League goals.
  • Harry KEWELL needs one more to complete 50 goals for Leeds.
  • If involved, Seth JOHNSON will be making his 200th career club appearance.

    ADDITIONAL WHITES NOTES

  • Last Premiership draw was the goalless affair at Everton on 3 March, 2002.
  • One of four clubs yet to draw in the Premiership. The others are Aston Villa, Bolton and West Brom.
  • One of three clubs to have conceded fewest Premier League goals - 5 in 7 games. The others are Manchester United and Middlesbrough.

    ARSENAL

    Sequences
  • YET TO LOSE THIS SEASON
  • WON LAST 5 - 3 Prem, 2 CL
  • 10 UNDEFEATED - 7 Prem, 2 CL, 1 CS [8 wins, 2 draws]
  • 28 UNBEATEN IN THE PREMIERSHIP
  • NOT BEATEN IN 22 AWAY LEAGUE GAMES
  • SCORED IN EACH OF THE LAST 46 LEAGUE MATCHES

    Recent Form
  • 8 wins in last 10 League and Cup games
  • Won 23 of last 28 Premiership matches
  • Drawn 2 of last 10 in all competitions
  • 2 draws in last 6 top flight encounters
  • Lost 0 of last 10 confrontations
  • 1 defeat in last 34 top division duels
  • Failed to score in 0 of last 10 contests
  • Failed to find the net in 1 of last 50 League clashes
  • 5 clean sheets in last 10
  • Managed 2 clean sheets in last 7 top tier League outings

    Potential Career Milestones
  • Dennis BERGKAMP is a brace away from scoring 100 goals for Arsenal.
  • If involved from the kick off, Oleg LUZHNY will be making his 50th League start for Arsenal.

    ADDITIONAL GUNNERS NOTES
  • Won last three Premiership matches.
  • Last Premiership defeat was 1-3 at home to Newcastle on 18 December, 2001.
  • Last League game when failed to score was the goalless draw at Newcastle on 15 May, 2001.
  • Last away Premier League defeat was in the season before last, at Southampton. The Gunners wrapped up that League campaign with a 3-2 reverse on 29 May, 2001.
  • Won most Premiership games - 5.
  • One of three clubs with an unbeaten top division record. The others are Chelsea and Liverpool.
  • Top Premier League scorers - 17 in 7. That's one goal every 37 minutes.
  • One of three clubs to have scored in every Premiership game. The others are Bolton and Liverpool.
  • Top scorers in a single Premiership game. That was the five goals in the 5-2 home win over West Brom on 27 August.
  • Involved in the Premier League's highest aggregate match. That was the 7 goals in the 5-2 home win over West Brom on 27 August.
  • One of three clubs to have scored most goals in the last five minutes of Premiership matches - 3. The others are Fulham and Liverpool.
  • Been caught off side 34 times in Premiership matches this season. That's more than any other club.

    Teams:
    Leeds (from): Robinson, Kelly, Harte, Dacourt, Radebe, Woodgate, Viduka, Kewell, Bowyer, Barmby, McPhail, Smith, Mills, Bakke, Matteo, Duberry, Okon, Burns, McMaster, Cansdell-Sherriff, Martyn.

    Arsenal (from): Seaman, Taylor, Shaaban, Luzhny, Lauren, Cole, Campbell, Cygan, Vieira, Gilberto, Ljungberg, Wiltord, Toure, Pennant, Henry, Kanu, Jeffers.

    Referee: Alan Wiley
    Not only is Alan Wiley a referee, but the 41-year-old also earns his living as a policeman - which should endear him to the Premier League crowds.

    Making his Premiership debut in the 2000/01 season, Wiley kept a low profile and avoided any controversial decisions. His standing improved during the 2001/02 campaign though, and Wiley took charge of 23 matches, handing out an average of 3.04 yellow cards per game.

    Wiley's first taste of power came in 1981 during a match in the Walsall Minor League, but his ascension to top ranking official came via the assistant's route. He became a league linesman in 1991, moving on to the Premiership's list in 1994, before finally becoming a top referee in 1995.

    Career highlights include the 1998 Auto Windscreens Shield Northern Final and the FA Women's Cup Final.


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