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Chris Wheatley & Kaya Kaynak

Nketiah starts with Pepe on the wing - Reporters pick their Arsenal teams to face Leeds United

Mikel Arteta will come up against Marcelo Bielsa on Sunday with the Leeds manager labelling Arsenal as "one of the best teams in the league".

The Gunners have lost three out of their last five league games but the victory away to Manchester United at Old Trafford had given some hope that Arteta's side are on the right track.

Arsenal's biggest problem has been creating chances in the final third this season and Nicolas Pepe could be in contention to start after Willian took an unauthorised trip to Dubai during the national lockdown.

Leeds go into the game off the back of three defeats from four and 4-1 losses against Leicester and Crystal Palace.

What team should Arteta name to repeat the trick? Below football.london's Arsenal experts name the sides they'd field on Sunday afternoon.

Kaya Kaynak - Arsenal writer

With COVID issues and injuries Arsenal’s squad is going to stretched to the limit at Elland Road on Sunday.

There are murmurings that Mikel Arteta could use this game to switch to a 4-3-3, but with both Thomas Partey and Mohamed Elneny unavailable I expect him to stick with a back three.

It’s splitting hairs between David Luiz and Rob Holding to join Gabriel and Kieran Tierney at the back, but Arteta may just favour the Brazilian in order to take advantage of Leeds high line.

The in-form Bukayo Saka and Hector Bellerin should line up as the wing backs, while those injuries I mentioned earlier mean Granit Xhaka and Dani Ceballos will return to the side. Joe Willock might have been an option in midfield but I expect Arteta to opt for solidity over style for what is a tough away game.

Joie Willock is one several youngsters in Mikel Arteta's Arsenal squad (Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images))



I would like to see Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang through the middle but I have seen nothing to suggest Arteta won’t start him on the left again. On the other side I’m hopeful that Nicolas Pepe will be given an opportunity in the Premier League following Willian’s misdemeanours.

Eddie Nketiah scored two more goals for the England under-21s over the international break and I’m backing him to start over Alexandre Lacazette up top. He’ll have the added incentive of wanting to prove Marcelo Bielsa wrong following his disappointing loan spell at Leeds last season.

Kaynak’s Arsenal XI: Leno; Bellerin, Luiz, Gabriel, Tierney, Saka; Xhaka, Ceballos; Aubameyang, Pepe; Nketiah

Chris Wheatley - chief Arsenal reporter

It's been a while since we've seen him but I'd like to see Joe Willock come in for the unavailable Mohamed Elneny in midfield. The most likely pairing however is Granit Xhaka and Dani Ceballos.

The defence is unlikely to be changed too much although Arteta faces a decision over whether he will play David Luiz or Rob Holding alongside Gabriel.

Hector Bellerin celebrates Bukayo Saka's opener against Sheffield United in the Premier League which he assisted ((Photo by Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images))

Bukayo Saka has played a ridiculous amount of football in the past week but Arsenal are without too many options on the left and could decide to continue with the England international in attack.

Nicolas Pepe looks likely to start ahead of Willian after he took an unauthorised absence to Dubai last week.

I'd expect Arteta to pick the experience of Alexandre Lacazette over Eddie Nketiah but I would prefer to see the former Leeds loanee feature against the team he knows so well.

Wheatley's Arsenal XI: Leno; Bellerin, Gabriel, Holding, Tierney, Saka; Xhaka, Willock; Aubameyang, Pepe, Lacazette.

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