Liam Cooper set to start in Leeds United clash v Arsenal – Phil Hay
Liam Cooper is likely to return to the Leeds United starting line-up for their clash with Arsenal on Sunday, according to Phil Hay.
Writing on The Athletic website ahead of kick-off at the Emirates on 8 May, Hay said that it seems as though the 30-year-old will be named in the defence by Jesse Marsch.
Cooper missed the defeat to Manchester City last week but it looks like he’s recovered in time for the last four games of the campaign.
Hay said: “Cooper most likely comes back in today. It sounds like he’s fit and good to go, despite injuring his knee a week ago.
“Set-pieces have been better defensively under Marsch but Arsenal are pretty handy at them.
“I’d like to think that Cooper in the mix will help.”
Who drops out?
Marsch played with a back-five against Manchester City last week and going so defensive against a team that dominates possession wasn’t a good idea.
Leeds needed to get in City’s faces, make it hard for them to progress up the pitch and pin them back in their own half and force mistakes.
Maybe Marsch was trying to get over the fact that Cooper was missing by simply going for quantity at the back, rather than quality.
Either way, Cooper is back now and he should start against Arsenal in a back-four.
We’d like to see a defensive line-up of Luke Ayling, Diego Llorente, Cooper and Junior Firpo.
It’s not ideal and we’d rather see Stuart Dallas at left-back but this is a balanced back-four and there shouldn’t be any great issues with playing this way.
Marsch cannot over-think things at Arsenal.
Stick to what you and the players know and you might get a shock result.
In other Leeds United news, a journalist has said if Marsch will quit Leeds if they’re relegated to the Championship.