Merson Warns Arsenal of Leeds Advantage After International Break

Arsenal could face a tougher challenge against Leeds United in the Premier League after the international break, with former Gunners forward Paul Merson warning that limited preparation time may benefit Daniel Farke's side at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday. The early kickoff is scheduled for 12:30 p.m., leaving Mikel Arteta's squad little time to regroup.

According to Merson, 15 Arsenal players remained on international duty until this week, restricting the team's opportunity to prepare collectively for the league fixture. He believes the compressed schedule could help Leeds narrow the competitive gap between the teams.

Speaking on Sky Sports News, Merson said, "A lot of players go away in the international break at Arsenal."

He explained that the returning players had limited time to work with the coaching staff before the match, particularly on tactical routines and set pieces.

"They probably came back yesterday, did a little warm-up so they literally get today and a little bit tomorrow, running through set-plays and patterns, and then they're kicking off at 12:30pm on Saturday. So there hasn't been a lot of time and I think it's a bit of a leveller for Leeds, this is a little bit of an advantage for Leeds that they're playing straight after the international break at 12:30pm."

Leeds also had players away on international duty during the break. According to the source report, 21 members of Farke's squad traveled to represent their countries, including England's James Trafford.

However, Leeds face their own selection concerns ahead of the trip to north London. The report identifies Dan James and Joe Rodon as injured players expected to miss the match.

Arsenal, meanwhile, are hoping to welcome several players back into the squad. Declan Rice, Ezri Konsa, Cristhian Mosquera, Piero Hincapie and Ben White are among those the club hopes to have available, according to the report.

The fixture also presents Arsenal with an opportunity to respond to their previous league result. The Gunners suffered a 3-0 defeat to Brighton in their last outing, increasing the importance of returning to winning form against Leeds.