Arsenal vs. Leeds: Viktor Gyokeres sent "hopeful, not confident" message amid Kai Havertz injury

As Arsenal purpose to get their Premier League rubric defence backmost connected way astatine location to Leeds United successful Saturday's aboriginal kickoff, Sports Mole tract coordinator Ben Knapton discusses the Gunners' chances of returning to winning ways successful beforehand of the Emirates crowd.

Arsenal told to expect "awkward" Leeds trial successful Premier League return

I cognize I said, what's going to halt Arsenal this season? I said it's lone going to instrumentality an wounded crisis, but William Saliba retired connected his ain is an wounded situation for Arsenal!

But Brighton is ever a spot of an awkward fixture. No substance what benignant of signifier Arsenal oregon Brighton are in, trips to the South Coast for Arsenal ever had that awkward consciousness to them.

But this was not awkward. It was a catastrophe from commencement to finish. Arsenal weren't closing down shots from extracurricular the box. They were beaten astatine their ain acceptable portion crippled for that 3rd Brighton extremity arsenic well.

There was a small spot of an constituent of atrocious luck to it due to the fact that David Raya has conceded the 2nd highest stock of goals from extracurricular the container of immoderate Premier League goalkeeper successful history.

That says a fewer things. It could accidental that Raya's positioning isn't great. It could accidental that his tallness is simply a problem. Compared to different goalkeepers he's not massive.

The lone goalkeeper who conceded a higher stock of goals from extracurricular the container successful the Premier League, Hans Segers, was adjacent shorter than Raya astatine 5'11", truthful there's a proposition that's an issue.

But connected immoderate different day, those shots could alert wide of the station oregon implicit the bar. It was large finishing from Brighton but Arsenal were conscionable not connected it astatine all. They offered precise small successful attack.

The players surely weren't getting excessively carried distant with their 100% start. Maybe a fewer fans were. But it was not an acquisition we wanted, possibly 1 we needed.

It came astatine the champion time, conscionable earlier the planetary break. Against Leeds this weekend, it's going to beryllium an awkward fixture. If you had said earlier the crippled that 1 of Arsenal oregon Leeds would beryllium unbeaten, radical would person thought Arsenal were going to beryllium unbeaten and Leeds would person mislaid by now.

But it's the different mode around.

Viktor Gyokeres handed "big opportunity" successful Arsenal vs. Leeds

Arsenal won the past 2 games past play by an aggregate scoreline of 9-0, they haven't mislaid to Leeds since 2003, but it's been a classical Arsenal planetary interruption with tons much wounded concerns to contend with.

Five players pulled retired of planetary duty: Tzolis, Dowman, Havertz, Ezri Konsa and Declan Rice. Arteta has got tons of dilemmas for this one.

On the right-hand broadside of the backmost line, that tin beryllium truly tricky. Konsa, Ben White and Cristhian Mosquera were each retired against Brighton.

It doesn't truly look similar they're suffering from thing serious, aforesaid arsenic Konsa. But if each 3 are out, what bash you bash there?

Jurrien Timber is inactive dilatory getting backmost to afloat fitness, but I'm hopeful that Konsa volition beryllium capable to instrumentality his spot alongside Gabriel for this one.

Up top, astir apt Eze connected the near and Viktor Gyokeres up front. Gyokeres got his archetypal 2 Arsenal goals successful this nonstop fixture past play and did truthful good for Sweden internationally, scoring 4 goals successful 4 Nations League games.

I'm hopeful, possibly not confident, that helium tin construe that planetary signifier onto the Premier League stage. He's been waiting for this chance.

Havertz has go the first-choice centre-forward, truthful it's a large accidental for Gyokeres against the squad helium precise overmuch enjoyed playing past season.

I deliberation they volition respond with each 3 points, but it's surely not going to beryllium the 5-0 we saw past season.