Leeds United

Across the Pennines, Manchester United are experiencing yet another uncomfortable period as they continue to lack form.

Leeds United, who had been unbeaten in the early part of the Premier League season before defeat by Arsenal last time out, will be hoping to bounce back against a Manchester United side struggling to pick up wins when they host the Red Devils on Sunday (14:00 BST).

Speaking to BBC Radio Leeds, former Whites centre-back Lucas Radebe reminisced of his playing career in the fixture: "This is the one weekend I would have loved to wear that jersey and be in that dressing room.

"The build-up to that game was absolutely unbelievable.

"For many years, we have not had many great results against them. This is a big one, it is a massive one. They don't come bigger than this one."

Although Leeds boss Daniel Farke held Manchester United to a draw on their last visit to Elland Road and beat them at Old Trafford last season, the west Yorkshire club have not taken three points off their rivals at home since 2002.

The retired South Africa international featured from the bench, and a goal from Harry Kewell was the difference between the sides on that day.

"We are the favourites going into this weekend," added Radebe.

"That fierce rivalry, it is a special game because each and every player wants to play this game."

Leeds are unbeaten in their past seven Premier League home games (W4 D3), last having a longer unbeaten run at Elland Road between January and December 2001 (15 games).

"I think every game for us is important, but this one, you psych yourself," Radebe explained.

"The game itself is an incentive. The preparation and the feeling when you're preparing for a game like this, it increases that passion. It is more than a derby."

Listen to the full chat by pressing play above or on BBC Sounds here

Leeds United striker Lukas Nmecha, who is out of contract at Elland Road in the summer, is yet to agree a new deal because he wants more playing time. (Teamtalk), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Friday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

After joining in the summer from Borussia Monchengladbach for £8.5m, Nico Elvedi has settled straight into the Leeds starting XI, proving to be a smart buy.

The Switzerland international has featured in every Premier League game this season, helping the Whites to seventh place with nine points.

Speaking about his transition to English football, the 30-year-old told BBC Radio Leeds' Adam Pope: "The international games that I had with Switzerland, or in the Champions League or Europa League, have helped me a lot.

"I have played against big players and big teams and I think that's why I can play in the Premier League as well.

Elvedi spent 11 years with German side Monchengladbach, making 364 appearances, and has 77 caps for his country.

The centre-back said he does not need "extra motivation" to face Manchester United on Sunday, adding that his experience of facing Monchengladbach's rivals Cologne will have similarities to the Premier League fixture.

"It was also a very big rivalry. For the fans it was the most important game of the year and everyone wanted to win that. I think it's similar to this game at the weekend."

Listen to more from Elvedi above or on BBC Sounds here

Leeds fear they may lose defender Tarik Muharemovic next summer, with Bayern Munich among the clubs interested. (Football Insider), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Thursday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Image source, Getty Images

Kaiser Chiefs bassist Simon Rix told BBC Radio Leeds' Don't Go To Bed Just Yet podcast that it's a "shame" that Leeds United's unbeaten start to the season ended at Arsenal but "it's time to start another".

Daniel Farke's side narrowly missed out on preserving their impressive unbeaten start to the season after the reigning champions staged a second half comeback to win 2-1.

But the Yorkshire side were impressive in their first match back after the prolonged international break and had the better of the chances in the first half.

Host Jonny Buchan praised Leeds' performances, saying: "They were so structured defensively. They were so solid for that opening 45 minutes in particular and had the better chances in that opening half.

"Really good chance for [Gabriel] Gudmundsson, the chance for [Anton] Stach when he hit the back of [Jayden] Bogle, [Noah] Okafor's shot that went wide of the upright. Some really good chances in front of goal.

"The most impressive factor of it was and Daniel Farke spoke about it ahead of the game, he was asked, 'How do you stop Arsenal?' And he said you have to be really strong in the middle and you have to stop them attacking down the wings, which sounds really easy, but they did that really well."

On Leeds losing their unbeaten record, Rix said: "It's a bit of a shame. It's a reason that it's a bit more of a shame than I thought because I didn't realise it was the first defeat. But time to start another unbeaten run. A good chance on Sunday [against Manchester United]."

Listen to the full podcast below or on BBC Sounds here

Image source, Getty Images

League Two Oldham progressed to the second round in the EFL Trophy after they came back from behind to beat Leeds' under-21s 4-2 at Boundary Park.

Noah Chilvers scored from the spot put the League Two team in front before Callum Mills, 18, scored his fourth goal in two games in the competition to make it 1-1 at the break.

Carrick Njinko put the young Whites in front but goals from Kane Drummond, Josh Hawkes and Kai Payne saw the home side take the win.

Listen to what Leeds under-21s coach Scott Gardner said on the defeat by pressing play below or on BBC Sounds here

Leeds United suffered their first Premier League loss of the season in a battling 2-1 defeat at Arsenal.

Jonny Buchan, Adam Pope and Kaiser Chiefs' bassist Simon Rix analyse what went right and what went wrong.

Listen below or on BBC Sounds here - and don't forget to subscribe to get each episode into your My Sounds feed.

Explore all Leeds United content on BBC Sounds

We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League game between Arsenal and Leeds United.

Here are some of your comments:

Arsenal fans

Rachel: Not the performance I hoped for - the authority was lacking from the beginning. Once the tempo increased in the second half, the crowd got behind the team and they came to life. I didn't see an outstanding display from any player. Going forwards, we need more appetite and intent, and to play like Premier League champions.

Matthew: The biggest positive was Arteta's substitutions and the team's mentality to fight back after going behind. That said, we cannot afford to be so vulnerable defensively or waste so many chances if we want to defend the title. Champions must find ways to win even when they are not at their best, and Arsenal did exactly that. Three points are welcome, but there is still room for improvement.

Kevin: Very disappointing. Arsenal were lacking fire, determination and intensity and Leeds deserved their lead. Slightly better in the last 30 minutes and inspiration from Guimaraes saved us again.

Varoujan: Sloppy first 45 minutes and excellent second half showed why the Gunners are Premier League champions.

MC: Great spirit in the fightback but it took the subs to change the game. Some of those starters need to start turning in some performances or sit a few games out. Saka was particularly poor, and probably has been for some weeks.

Leeds fans

Mark: We played really well for an hour, then got sloppy for 20 minutes and finished fairly strongly - although I'm not keen on long balls to Calvert-Lewin without giving him support. Trafford may have done better with the equaliser, but defensively we were great. Our depth of squad is highlighted when we look to Aaronson to make a difference from the bench. Sad to lose but the team did us proud.

Dave: Deserved a point at least. Great performance at a ground where we have struggled for years. Gutted we lost.

Declan: Unlucky not to have capitalised on earlier chances. Should have won but we can hold our heads up. So different from same fixture last season.

Rob: Last year 5-0, this year we've taken them very close and competed on equal terms right to the end, showing massive improvement even in the loss. Next up, you know who.

Steve: Unlucky not to get a draw, which the performance merited. However, though Arsenal were poor, they still have the mentality to grind out a win - that's what good teams can do. Great improvement from Leeds compared with last season at Arsenal.

Everton hold the strongest interest in Rennes striker Esteban Lepaul, although Leeds United, Aston Villa, Brentford and Brighton have the 26-year-old France international on their radar. (Teamtalk, external)

Want more transfer stories? Read Monday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Leeds United manager Daniel Farke, spoke to BBC Match of the Day after his side's defeat by Arsenal: "Gutted for my lads because they showed an excellent performance today. I'm heartbroken that we didn't take anything away. But also proud because we played excellent in the first half.

"I said at half-time, if we have more clarity and belief in our situations then we can win this game. We went for it, even to score the second goal, we had the momentum on our side but Arsenal are the reigning champions. One of the best teams, if not the best team in Europe - this means one of the best teams in the world. Even with little details they are able to capitalise. All credit goes to them, they found a way to turn this game."

On the momentum switch after the equaliser: "For 65 minutes we were dominant but they have quality players from the bench, with a little bit of luck - out of not much - they equalised and they are all of a sudden back in the game.

"We tried everything to the final whistle but we couldn't find the answer so today we have to accept the loss."

On the international break: "Most of my players just arrived two days ago and we just had one proper training session. That's difficult when you are facing Arsenal but no complaints, it's the same for Mikel [Arteta] and his side. We showed an excellent away performance. It's just a bit annoying we didn't take anything away from this.

"You have to feel a bit heartbroken after a loss, but after the dust settles we know what we have done against one of the best teams in the world."

• Listen to Farke above and on BBC Sounds here

Did you know?

• Leeds have lost their first Premier League game of the season, while their winless run against Arsenal in all competitions now stands at 17 games (D2 L15).

• Leeds lost a Premier League game in which they opened the scoring in the second half for the first time since October 1992 (1-2 vs QPR).

Harry Poole
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

It has been an excellent start to the season for Leeds, and the positive feeling around the team will not be harmed by this defeat against Arsenal.

While there will be disappointment at the result, a five-game unbeaten league start - the club's first in the top flight since 2001 - has given Daniel Farke's side the perfect platform from which to press on from their 14th-place finish last season.

Fortified in defence by the summer arrivals of goalkeeper James Trafford and centre-back Tarik Muharemovic, they had still conceded a joint-league low of three goals after a first hour in which they had bettered the champions.

The Gunners were caught offside four times in the first 16 minutes, with Ben White twice guilty of mistiming his run in attempting to beat a well-drilled Leeds back line.

Leeds' tenacity in defence was personified by midfielder Ao Tanaka's refusal to yield to Bukayo Saka's trickery before ending an Arsenal attack with a disciplined tackle during the first half.

Having been denied on several occasions by David Raya, including close-range strikes by marauding wing-backs Jayden Bogle and Gudmundsson, Leeds looked well-placed to end their long wait for a win at Arsenal following their breakthrough.

But Farke's side ultimately could not reassert themselves once the momentum flipped.

Leeds starting XI:

James Trafford: Will be disappointed with how he conceded the Arsenal equaliser. Showed his passing range as he tried to pick out target man Dominic Calvert-Lewin. 6

Jayden Bogle: Forced David Raya into a save with a good half chance in the first half. Provided an attacking outlet and defended well. 6

James Justin: Scored the very well-worked opener. Made a couple of important clearances and worked well with Bogle in both attack and defence. 7

Tarik Muharemovic: The imposing centre-back dealt with most things that came his way. 7

Nico Elvedi: Part of a Leeds backline that almost caused an upset. 6

Gabriel Gudmundsson: Provided an excellent assist for Justin's goal. Had to deal with the threat of Bukayo Saka and Kai Havertz who pulled over to Gudmundsson's side too. 7

Ao Tanaka: Very good on the ball and worked hard alongside Ethan Ampadu in the middle of the pitch. 7

Ethan Ampadu: Worked very hard in the middle of the pitch with Tanaka and gave Leeds a solid platform to build from. 6

Anton Stach: The midfielder made his physical presence felt in the middle of the pitch. 6

Noah Okafor: Went close in the first half with an early Leeds chance. Overhit a pass when he had a great chance to play Stach through. 6

Dominic Calvert-Lewin: Held the ball up very well and gave Ezri Konsa and Gabriel a physical battle. 6

Leeds substitutes:

Harry Wilson (on 71, Tanaka): Came on as Leeds chased a way back into the match. 6

Brenden Aaronson (on 71, Okafor): Tried to make something happen. 6

Jean-Matteo Bahoya (on 86, Bogle): Not given many minutes. 5

Jaka Bijol (on 86, Elvedi): Not much time to make an impact. 5

Subs not used: Zetterer, Bard, Gruev, Nmecha, Longstaff.

Read the full article and see how you rated the players

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

Have your say on Arsenal's performance

What did you make of Leeds' display?

Reaction and analysis to follow - and come back on Monday for a selection of your replies.

There are six games in the Premier League on Saturday and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.

• Arsenal v Leeds United (12:30)

• Aston Villa v Brentford - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

• Chelsea v Bournemouth - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Ipswich Town v Fulham

• Sunderland v Brighton

• Manchester United v Tottenham (17:30) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

Kick-off times 15:00 BST unless stated.

Follow all of the action and reaction here

How to follow the Premier League weekend across the BBC

You can also listen to today's 5 Live Premier League commentaries on your smart speaker. Just say "Alexa, ask BBC Sounds to play Manchester United v Tottenham" or "Alexa, ask BBC Sounds to play the Brentford match", for example.

New this season: Live match updates

Fans of Premier League clubs can now get real-time scores live on their phone lock screen for every game.

Simply follow your favourite football teams on the BBC Sport app for updates throughout the 2026-27 season.

Find out more here

Image source, BBC Sport

New this season: Match of the Day Predictor

Simply predict the outcome of the six fixtures we've selected from across domestic and European competitions every week.

Players can join at any time, get involved with the latest round and start building a streak.

Read more about it here

You can find the predictor in the navigation bar at the top of this page, or on this link

Matt Jones
BBC Sport journalist

Having had three weeks to stew on their loss to Brighton, Arsenal will be itching to get going in the Premier League again. Unbeaten Leeds United are their opponents in the Premier League on Saturday (12:30 BST) at Emirates Stadium.

The Gunners were uncharacteristically out of sorts at Amex Stadium before the international break, as their perfect start to the season was ended in spectacular fashion by a 3-0 defeat. Mikel Arteta, who signed a new contract this week, will want to see his side bounce back like champions.

Leeds will pose a big challenge, though. After a summer of solid transfer business, they have started the campaign well, winning two and drawing three of their first five fixtures. Daniel Farke's side have the joint-best defensive record in the league too and will fancy their chances of springing a surprise.

Gunners to get back at it?

The 3-0 reverse at Brighton was Arsenal's biggest Premier League defeat since May 2023 against the same opposition. Arteta said it was a "big lesson", so supporters will be expecting a response.

In fairness to the Gunners, the nature of the defeat was out of sync with the defensive standards they have set under the current head coach. They only lost by more than one goal once in the whole of last season, against Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final.

So how do they do it? They need to take more care in possession to start. Against the Seagulls, the Gunners lost possession in their own final third nine times, which was the most for them since December 2023. Leeds are second for pressed sequences in the Premier League so far this season, with 63, and will fancy their chances of potentially pinching possession back in dangerous areas too.

While so far this season teams with less than 50% of possession have won more games than teams with 50% of the ball, Arsenal have pivoted towards a controlled style of play with the ball.

In Leeds, they do at least have historically accommodating opponents. Arsenal have won nine of their past 10 Premier League games against the Whites, including the past seven by an aggregate score of 24-5.

Whites keeping it tight

Farke's side can go to the Emirates with nothing to fear, though, and will take confidence from the robustness of the squad they have assembled.

They have been superb at the back, with goalkeeper James Trafford and defender Tarik Muharemovic adding extra steel since their summer arrivals. As a team, they have limited their opponents to just 0.09 xG per shot, a tally only the Gunners can better with 0.08.

Where Leeds may also be able to match Arsenal is from attacking set-pieces. They lead the Premier League for the percentage of their shots (46.7%) and xG (41.0%) which have come from non-penalty set-pieces, with three of their seven goals coming from dead-ball situations.

Arsenal scored a massive 29 goals from set-pieces on their way to the title last season, with their inswinging corners a defining feature of their play. But five games in, Arteta's side have yet to score from a dead-ball situation.

Brighton were brilliant when they beat Arsenal before the international break - the Seagulls really harried and hassled the champions and went toe-to-toe with them.

I don't think Leeds will go about things the same way, but they will still provide a stern test.

Daniel Farke's side are really solid but also carry a big threat too, and they are a very different proposition to the side Arsenal thumped 5-0 at Emirates Stadium at the start of last season.

So, this game will tell us a lot about where Arsenal are and how they have recovered from that Brighton defeat.

I'd still back the Gunners to find a way to win, especially because they are at home, but it will be a lot closer than last time. Leeds don't concede goals as freely any more.

Sutton's prediction: 2-0

Read the full predictions and have your say here

Noah Okafor has been explaining explained why Leeds United feels like home to him after making an impressive start to his second season at Elland Road.

The forward told BBC Radio Leeds: "I like to score and assist and to help the team. Goals are the most important thing. This feeling is something I can't describe. It is incredible to score at home games."

Since joining Leeds in August 2025, the Switzerland international has forged a partnership and friendship with Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

"I love him so much as a friend. To play with him makes me so happy. Dom gives me good advice in life. Really happy to have him in my side and in my private life," added Okafor.

So far this season, the 26-year-old has featured in seven games for Leeds, scoring one goal.

"We have good energy and atmosphere in the team. It is special on and off the pitch.

"I am really happy to have a coach like him [Daniel Farke]. He gives me freedom up front."

Listen below or on BBC Sounds here - and don't forget to subscribe to get each episode into your My Sounds feed.

Explore all Leeds United content on BBC Sounds

Leeds United chairman Paraag Marathe has described boss Daniel Farke as "fantastic for the club" and told fans they can "look forward to many more games with him" as the Whites look to extend the German's contract beyond the end of this season.

Farke guided the club to a 14th-place finish in the Premier League last season alongside a run to the semi-finals of the FA Cup.

Speaking to BBC Radio Leeds, Marathe said: "Daniel has been tremendous for us. I think the club and the city and everyone in Yorkshire has embraced him."

Leeds travel to champions Arsenal on Saturday (12:30 BST) looking to build on their unbeaten start, and certainly for improvement on last season's 5-0 defeat at Emirates Stadium.

Listen to the full chat above or on BBC Sounds here

Chris Collinson
BBC Sport statistician

Just five games in, it might seem a bit early to pay much attention to the Premier League table - but it's probably more settled than you think.

If we look at the Premier League after five games last season and where teams ultimately ended up, the final table was already starting to take shape as 13 of the 20 sides finished within four places of where they sat even at this early stage (65%).

Eventual champions Arsenal were second, Sunderland were already seventh - where they finished eight months later - and two of the three sides that were relegated were already in the bottom three.

The eventual champions have been in the top two at this point in the past four campaigns, suggesting - potential punishments aside - it will be Manchester City or Arsenal that lifts the trophy.

The top end of the table overall has sometimes settled surprisingly quickly in recent years. The top eight after five games in 2024-25 finished as the top eight at the end of that season (although not in the same order), while the top six in 2019-20 and top seven in 2016-17 were also in place at this early stage.

While being top after five games has not meant much in recent seasons, being bottom certainly has.

Tottenham could well be in trouble once again as the side bottom of the Premier League after five games has been relegated in six of the past seven seasons.

Being bottom this early did not used to be such a bad omen. Between 2013-14 and 2018-19, only one of the six sides that were propping up the table after five games ended up going down - Newcastle in 2015-16 - while Crystal Palace finished as high as 11th in 2017-18.

Looking at the relegation battle more broadly, at least one of the teams in the bottom three at this stage has been relegated in the past eight seasons - so one of Tottenham, Fulham and Coventry City are very likely to be heading to the Championship in May.

The pool of contestants for this season's relegation battle may already be decided too because the three sides that ultimately went down in the past three seasons were all in the bottom six after five games, which would add Bournemouth, Aston Villa and Crystal Palace to the mix.

The last sides to be outside the bottom six at this point but relegated were Leeds United and Southampton in 2022-23, who were both in the top half (seventh and ninth). With their teams currently in eighth and 11th place, Hull City and Ipswich Town fans will hope that is still the case at the end of this campaign.

While the season may well have barely begun, the Premier League table is already starting to take shape.

Read the piece in full here

Sophie Trifonoff
BBC Sport journalist

Leeds United boss Daniel Farke has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Arsenal at Emirates Stadium (kick-off 12:20 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• On the Manchester City verdict, Farke said: "Not my topic. My topic is football. There are more qualified people to speak on this. It makes no sense if right now everyone wants to have an opinion about this topic. There are more qualified people to talk about this. It's nothing to do with me, I was not involved in the title race during those years."

• On James Trafford's performances for England during the international break, the German manager said: "Two games, two wins, delighted for him. He's had an impressive and terrific start in the Premier League for us, and he fully deserved to get another call-up and delighted for him to have two more appearances under his belt. I was desperate to sign him, not just this summer, I'd tried before, because I'm fully convinced of his qualities as a goalkeeper and as a human being."

• Farke confirmed defender Joe Rodon is on his way back from injury after individual training sessions but will be unavailable for Saturday's match against Arsenal.

• Fellow Welshman Daniel James will also be out for Saturday's game after sustaining a back injury during the international break with Wales.

• Jean-Matteo Bahoya returned from the France camp with an ankle strain, but "looks way better" the Leeds boss said. "We have to wait now to see how his body reacts but it seems like there is a chance that he's available, at least there's some progress," he added.

• Harry Wilson has returned to team training after his muscle injury but will also be monitored before the weekend.

• Farke has said his side are the "underdogs" going into Saturday's fixture but he says it will be a "good chance to show how far Leeds have come".

• On Leeds' league position, Farke said: "It's not coincidence that in the last 10-11 months we are the fifth best team in the Premier League in terms of points. We haven't won the lottery to be in fifth, it's not coincidence that we are unbeaten after a very impressive start to the Premier League."

Hit play above to hear more from Farke or listen on BBC Sounds here

Follow all of Thursday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news.

Image source, Getty Images

A number of Premier League clubs want Manchester City to be hit with both "retrospective punishments" and sanctions for the future for their mass financial rule-breaking, sources have told BBC Sport.

An independent commission found City guilty of all charges relating to breaches of the Premier League's financial regulations between the 2009-10 and 2017-18 seasons.

City have appealed against the verdict, while the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) is poised to look at the findings to see if there may be any suggestions of potential misconduct.

However, there is said to be a consensus among a group of top-flight club executives that if City's appeal is unsuccessful, the sanctions should make reparations for the period when they broke the rules, while also limiting their powers in future.

There is also a feeling from at least four Premier League boardrooms that a "one-hit" points deduction resulting in relegation to the Championship would be an insufficient punishment given the severity of City's wrongdoing.

Read more on what rival clubs want