Arsenal host Leeds United in their second Premier League outing of the 2025/26 season at the Emirates Stadium on August 23.
The Gunners are kicking off the new campaign as one of the pre-season favourites to win the Premier League, although Mikel Arteta and his troops are under no illusions about the task at hand.
For the past three consecutive seasons, Arsenal have finished as runners-up, twice to Manchester City and more recently to Liverpool.
After six years in the Gunners dugout, the pressure is mounting on Arteta to finally lead Arsenal to their first top-flight title in two decades.
The Spaniard has spewed so many excuses in a bid to explain why Arsenal haven’t won silverware over the past few seasons.
He recently appeared to be getting his excuses in early after claiming that almost half of the teams in the Premier League are capable of winning the title.
Nevertheless, the 2025/26 season feels like a make-or-break for Arteta. His FA Cup success in 2019/20 was supposed to lay the foundation for future success.
However, five years down the line, he only has two more Community Shields to show for his effort.
If Arteta doesn’t end Arsenal’s title drought this season, then serious questions will have to be raised within the club hierarchy about whether he’s the right man for the job.
The Gunners haven’t been dealt a decent hand either, as they face one of the toughest starts to the Premier League season.
However, matchgoing fans, including those who get their tickets from Seatsnet.comwill be hoping Arsenal can pick up maximum points when they host Leeds in North London.
The Whites are looking to establish themselves in the Premier League after their record-breaking Championship-winning campaign. But they know it’ll be easier said than done.
In a bid to bolster their chances, Daniel Farke’s side have made a plethora of signings to significantly bolster their squad and prepare for the high-octane Premier League campaign.
At the time of writing, they have welcomed eight new recruits, and a few more are still in the pipeline.
Getting the better of Arsenal will be an uphill task for Leeds. They’ll be going into the contest as massive underdogs, but it’ll be silly to write them off before a ball is kicked.
Match Preview
Arsenal had a mixed pre-season preparation, winning three of their five warm-up games against AC Milan, Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur, Villarreal, and Athletic Club.
They dropped the curtains on their pre-season with an emphatic 3-0 win over Athletic, and they’ll be looking to carry that momentum into the new campaign.
The Gunners get their season underway with a box office contest against Manchester United at Old Trafford, reigniting one of the oldest rivalries in Premier League history.
After that, they’ll return to the comfort of their home in North London, where they host Leeds in what can be considered a more favourable contest for Arteta’s side.
The outcome of their curtain raiser against United will undoubtedly affect their morale when they take on Leeds, so the Peacocks will be hoping for a result that gives them a slight chance at beating the odds.
But they haven’t exactly been flying themselves, and recent results have hardly inspired the hopes and faith of supporters at Elland Road.
Leeds were unbeaten in their pre-season preparations, but they also failed to pick up a win.
However, they’ll pat themselves on the back for their performance considering the calibre of opponents they faced across those three games.
Farke’s side held historical rivals United to a goalless draw before playing out a pair of 1-1 results against La Liga side Villarreal and Serie A giants Milan.
They’ll head into the new campaign fairly confident about their chances of staying up, and an opening day contest against Everton could be used to lay down the market.
The outcome of that game could set the tone for the rest of their campaign, especially with a tricky trip to the Emirates following the game.
Head to Head
Arsenal have a fantastic, dominant record against Leeds that goes all the way back to 2003.
They’re unbeaten against the Peacocks in their last 13 meetings across all competitions (W11, D2), including a six-match winning streak.
The Gunners are also unbeaten in their last eight Premier League encounters with Leeds (W6, D2), winning the last five in a row by a combined scoreline of 15-5.
Arsenal have also won their last four consecutive home games against Leeds, although the last time the Whites got the better of their North London counterparts, they did so in a 3-2 win at the Emirates.
The odds are heavily stacked against Leeds, and all the statistics point to another routine outing for Arsenal on August 23. Nevertheless, they’d be silly to underestimate their opponents.
Leeds racked up an astonishing 100 points to win the Championship and secure a return to the top flight.
While the odds of them retaining their Premier League status are slim, their activity in the transfer market proves that they won’t go down without a fight.
That desperation to be ranked amongst the best clubs in the country could fuel their battle for survival, so Arsenal will have to be wary about the Whites.
Best highlight
Arsenal
Barring any unforeseen injury problems against United, David Raya should continue his duties as the first-choice goalkeeper.
Myles Lewis-Skelly, Gabriel Magalhaes, William Saliba, and Jurrien Timber should provide cover.
Martin Zubimendi should slot in at defensive midfield, giving Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard the freedom to operate as attacking eights.
Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka should line up on either side of Viktor Gyokeres.
(4-3-3): Raya; Lewis-Skelly, Gabriel, Saliba, Timber; Zubimendi, rice, odegaard; Martinelli, Gyokeres, Saka.
Leeds United
Lucas Perri starts in goal, with Gabriel Gudmundsson, Pascal Struijk, Joe Rodon, and Isaac Schmidt lining up in defence.
Ethan Ampadu anchors the midfield with Anton Stach and Ao Tanaka on either side of him, while Wilfried Gnonto and Dan James play supporting cast behind top striker Joel Piroe.
(4-3-3): Perri; Gudmundsson, Struijk, Rodon, Schmidt; Stach, ampadu, tanaka; Gnonto, Proe, James.
Ticket Information
If you want to feel the roar of the crowd and the intensity of live Premier League action, then your safest bet is to buy directly from official club websites.
However, you can also get tickets from trusted resale platforms and secondary marketplaces like Seatsnet.com, which offer competitive prices and a wide selection of seats.
How to Watch in the United Kingdom
Every kick, save, and goal of the 2025/26 Premier League season will be shown live on Sky Sports, TNT Sports, and Amazon Prime Video.
Sky Sports will deliver the most extensive coverage with 128 live matches, while TNT Sports will screen 52 high-profile games. Amazon Prime Video rounds things off with 20 exclusive live streams.
