Post by Salem6 on Oct 31, 2003 20:52:56 GMT
Elland Road
Saturday, 1 November
Kick-off: 1500 GMT
Referee:
Mike Dean (Wirral)
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Dominic Matteo is a major concern but Mark Viduka should return for Leeds.
David Batty returns after being rested and on-loan Gunners winger Jermaine Pennant is also available after being given clearance by Arsene Wenger.
Arsenal will be without captain Patrick Vieira and centre-back Martin Keown.
Boss Arsene Wenger must decide whether to restore the line-up which started last weekend's Premiership game at Charlton, having rested players for the Carling Cup tie in midweek.
Leeds (from): Robinson, Kelly, Matteo, Harte, Radebe, Duberry, Roque Junior, Camara, Viduka, Olembe, Sakho, Wilcox, Smith, Johnson, Batty, Lennon, Domi, Chapuis, Bridges, Milner, Barmby, Carson.
Arsenal (from): Lehmann, Stack, Lauren, Cole, Campbell, Toure, Cygan, Clichy, Edu, Parlour, Gilberto Silva, Pires, Ljungberg, Wiltord, Henry, Bergkamp, Kanu, Aliadiere.
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BIG-MATCH FACTS
LEEDS UNITED face table-toppers Arsenal for the 99th time in the League, hoping to smash the Premiership's only remaining unbeaten record and climb away from second bottom in the table.
On Tuesday when the Whites announced they were deeper in the red than any other club in British football history, they suffered a further financial blow by being knocked out of the Carling Cup. Prior to that Leeds had lost successive League games - home to the Red Devils and away to Liverpool - and now face arguably the toughest fixture of all.
Leeds secured their Premiership status and killed off Arsenal's dreams of a "double double" with a spirited 2-3 victory in their last meeting at Highbury in May. But at home the West Yorkshire club have only won one of the last four corresponding fixtures.
ARSENAL go to Elland Road in search of a eighth Premiership win to maintain their one point lead at the summit and stretch their unbeaten Premiership run to 13 games. Three points would also take their all-time Premier League tally to 800.
Arsene Wenger will hope a victory will spur the team to a first win in nine European ties next week. Thereafter it's home to THFC in the season's first north London derby.
The Gunners are chasing a third win in five visits to Elland Road. They outplayed Leeds with a near faultless performance on their last trip in September 2002, winning 1-4. That was the 47th consecutive League match in which they had scored - breaking Chesterfield's 71 year old record. It equalled Manchester United's then record sequence of 29 Premiership games without defeat and broke Nottingham Forest's record of 22 unbeaten away games.
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SEQUENCES/RECENT FORM
LEEDS UNITED
19th 8 points
Highest achievable at the final whistle: 13th
Lowest could fall: 19th
One of three clubs to have conceded 21 goals from the first ten Premiership games. The others are Leicester and Wolves. No other clubs have shipped more.
One of two clubs to have scored only four times at home in the top flight. The other is Middlesbrough.
Conceded more times in the last 15 minutes of Premiership games than any other club (eight).
No wonder then that Leeds' second half record is the weakest of any in the top League.
Bottom in the Premiership's "Last Six Current Form" table with five defeats and one win (three points from the possible 18).
ARSENAL
1st 24 points
Highest achievable at the final whistle: STAY TOP
Lowest could fall: 3rd
One of three clubs to have won seven times in the Premiership. The others are Chelsea and Manchester United.
Hold the longest unbeaten sequence in the Premiership this season (seven wins, three draws).
Won nine and drawn three in the top division since losing 2-3 at home to Leeds on 4 May.
One of three clubs to have failed to score in just one game in the highest League. The others are Chelsea and Fulham.
Not lost in nine Premiership matches on the road (five this season).
Won five and drawn four on their League travels (three wins, two draws this season) since going down 2-0 at Blackburn on 15 March.
Gone 18 Premiership games since losing by more than a single goal margin.
Four goals away from conceding 400 all-time in the Premier League, and four short of shipping 300 in Premier League games on the road.
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POTENTIAL CAREER MILESTONES
LEEDS UNITED
Mark VIDUKA needs a hat trick to register 100 goals for British clubs.
If selected in the eleven, Eirik BAKKE will be making his 100th Premiership start for United.
If he figures, Lucas RADEBE will be making his 250th appearance for the west Yorkshire club.
If he participates, loan signing Jermaine PENNANT will be playing against his own club.
ARSENAL
If selected in the eleven, Ashley COLE will be making his 100th career League start.
Sylvain WILTORD is a double strike away from scoring 50 goals for Arsenal.
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LAST SEASON'S CORRESPONDING GAME:
Leeds United 1-4 Arsenal
28 September 2002 - Ref: Alan Wiley
Leeds scorer: Kewell 84
Arsenal scorers: Kanu 9, 86, Toure 20, Henry 47
Sent Off:
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HEAD TO HEAD TOTALS
League: Leeds 38 wins, Arsenal 36, Draws 24
Prem: Leeds 8 wins, Arsenal 10, Draws 4
HEAD TO HEAD at Leeds
League: Leeds 25 wins, Arsenal 10, Draws 14
Prem: Leeds 5 wins, Arsenal 3, Draws 3
