Race is still on – Arsenal is escaping the Bees sting, Leeds in Chelsea’s way

Arsenal’s dominance in the Premier League this season is undeniable, and their midweek demolition of Bayern Munich provided further proof that they might just be the top team in Europe as well. However, their recent draw at Chelsea serves as a reminder that even the Gunners will face challenges along the way.

Despite being strong favorites to clinch a first league title in over two decades, they will have to fight for every point. It’s worth noting that Arsenal were missing their usual central defensive duo, William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes, for only the second time since the start of the 2022–23 season.

London massacre – Chelsea with a man down against Arsenal kept the PL contest alive

With something to prove after the Chelsea stalemate, Arsenal will be a motivated opponent, and Brentford are the ones tasked with facing that fire this time. The Bees should not be underestimated, currently sitting 10th heading into Matchday 14, riding a solid run of four wins from their last six games.

Brentford have been one of the surprises of the campaign, and coach Keith Andrews is certainly in early contention for Manager of the Season accolades. The club lost key figures such as Frank, Bryan Mbeumo to Manchester United, Yoane Wissa to Newcastle, Christian Norgaard to Arsenal, and Mark Flekken to Bayer Leverkusen, yet they continue to overperform.

Igor Thiago has been central to their success, with contributions only outshone by Erling Haaland’s 14 goals. Remarkably, the Brazilian has gone from just 175 minutes of league action last season due to a meniscus injury to becoming a pivotal figure this term. Arsenal could also see the return of Viktor Gyokeres, who may be in line to start.

Martin Odegaard made another impact off the bench against Chelsea and is likely pushing for a starting role. Gabriel Jesus was fit enough to be on the bench over the weekend, while Leandro Trossard and Saliba didn’t feature at all; it would be surprising to see either start this match.

On the other side, Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca faces a familiar but tricky fixture as his team travels to Elland Road to renew hostilities with Leeds United. Maresca is yet to secure a league win against Leeds, having lost both encounters last season while managing Leicester City in the Championship.

Leeds are one of just three clubs he has faced multiple times in English football without ever winning, alongside Middlesbrough and Manchester City. His previous visit to Elland Road ended in a 3–1 defeat in February 2024.

Despite that, Chelsea have performed reasonably well in evening kick-offs (7 pm or later), losing only two of their past 17 such fixtures, including defeats at Ipswich (2–0) and Brighton (3–0) last season, with 12 wins and three draws in between.

The return of Cole Palmer to the bench against Arsenal was a boost, and he could feature against Leeds. His only previous Premier League outing against Leeds came as an 88th-minute substitute for Manchester City in a 3–1 win at Elland Road in December 2022.

Chelsea will be without the suspended Caicedo, and Reece James is unlikely to be risked despite an impressive performance against Arsenal as Maresca manages his captain’s workload. Leeds could see Anton Stach and Sebastiaan Bornauw back in the lineup, though Sean Longstaff remains sidelined with a calf problem.

PREMIER LEAGUE - MATCHDAY 14

Tuesday

Bournemouth - Everton 0-1 (0-0)

/Grealish 78/

Fulham - Manchester City 4-5 (1-3)

/Emile Smith Rowe 45+2, Alex Iwobi 57, Chukwueze 72, 78 - Haaland 17, Reijnders 37, Foden 44, 48, Berge 54 (og)/

Newcastle Tottenham 2-2 (0-0)

/Guimaraes 71, Gordon 86(p) - Romero 78, 90+5/

Wednesday

22.30: (1.40) Arsenal (5.00) Brentford (9.00)

22.30: (2.20) Brighton (3.50) Aston Villa (3.50)

22.30: (4.80) Burnley (3.75) Crystal Palace (1.80)

22.30: (3.40) Wolverhampton (3.50) Nottingham Forest (2.25)

23.15: (4.70) Leeds (3.70) Chelsea (1.78)

23.15: (1.40) Liverpool (5.00) Sunderland (9.00)

Thursday

23.00: (1.50) Manchester United (4.30) West Ham (6.50)

***odds are subject to change***