Michael Owen predicts result of ‘huge’ Leeds United clash vs Arsenal
Michael Owen says the pressure is back on Leeds when they take on Arsenal this weekend in the Premier League as they battle for survival.
The Whites currently sit two points above Everton in 17th place, having played one game more than their rivals in the relegation battle and now take on the top-four chasing Gunners on Sunday [May 8].
But after a disappointing defeat to Man City last weekend, Owen told BetVictor that Jesse Marsch’s side need an improved performance but he sees Arsenal coming out on top in a 2-0 win.
“It wasn’t a dominant win against West Ham last week, but Mikel Arteta won’t care one bit,” he said.
“That’s three massive wins in a row, and the that fourth position is looking more and more likely. With Spurs facing that tough trip to Anfield, this is a huge opportunity for Arsenal to pull away from them.
“A few weeks ago, I thought Leeds were safe. Now, I’m not so sure! With Burnley and Everton picking up some huge wins in recent weeks, the pressure is back on Jesse Marsch’s side. The performance against City wasn’t great, they’ll need an improvement here.
“Arsenal have the habit of unexpectedly dropping points, but I can’t see that here. I’m saying 2-0 to Arsenal.”
Ouch
The more you look at the fixture list and the current form of the teams around Leeds, the more you start to worry about their future in the Premier League.
Burnley have come out of nowhere and completely turned it around, while Everton keep picking up massive points at Goodison Park, while Leeds face three of the top four in a row.
If they want to avoid the risk of being completely cut adrift with results going against them, they need to find a way to pick up three points in this game at The Emirates.
Defensively they are greatly improved in recent weeks, but with Stuart Dallas out and Liam Cooper injured too they will be weakened defensively.
That means they need to be at their best going forward to give Arsenal something to think about, and hopefully prove Owen wrong to pick up some vital points.
In other Leeds news, Chris Sutton shares verdict on Leeds relegation after ‘spanner in the works’ puts them in ‘big trouble’