´We have now to win trophies´ – Saliba urges Arsenal to construct on Man Utd win

Arsenal make their long-awaited return to the Emirates to face Leeds United after a victory on the street noticed them overcome Manchester United at Previous Trafford of their Premier League opener final Sunday.

Mikel Arteta gave Premier League debuts to Martin Zubimendi and Viktor Gyokeres within the Gunners’ 1-0 win, with Riccardo Calafiori’s first-half header proving to be the distinction.

The North Londoners are unbeaten of their final 14 conferences with Saturday’s opposition and will likely be wanting to open their account at house for the 2025-26 marketing campaign.

Forward of this facet’s first house recreation of the season, William Saliba mentioned his membership’s title aspirations, having completed second over the past three campaigns within the top-flight.

“In fact, we’ve completed second for 3 years in a row, and we all know that we at all times miss one thing,” Saliba mentioned. “Now it’s a brand new season, we’ve to see what we didn’t do properly sufficient to win the league.

“We gained the primary recreation, and, in fact, we wish to win the league, and we’ll give every part. We have now to attempt to be even higher than the final three seasons to win this league.”

The Frenchman, who starred on the coronary heart of the Arsenal defence throughout solely the membership’s third league win away at United of their final 19 makes an attempt, emphasised Arsenal’s ambition this time period, saying: “We wish to rating in any context – set items, counter-attack, every part. We have now to provide every part, and we all know that we are able to win each time.

“In fact, we knew that we didn’t play our greatest soccer, however on the finish we knew that it was the primary recreation at Previous Trafford with some new signings from them.

“We simply miss trophies. We play good, we’re good, however we miss trophies, and we’ve to win trophies with Arsenal to be even higher.”

Constructing for the weekend on house turf

Emirates Stadium pic.twitter.com/rdP3KfUdd0

— Arsenal (@Arsenal) August 20, 2025

In the meantime, Daniel Farke’s newly promoted Leeds additionally received off to a profitable begin on Monday after they prevailed over David Moyes’ new-look Everton, because of an 84th-minute penalty from Lukas Nmecha.

The Elland Highway facet recorded a clear sheet of their first league match of the season for the primary time in 13 years, their final being a 1-0 win over Wolves within the Championship again in August 2012.

And Farke believed his facet had been deserving of all three factors, saying: “I believe total in a decent recreation, a hard-fought win but additionally a well-deserved win from my facet.

“Excellent efficiency. I believe we had been very dominant within the first half and had almost 70 per cent possession, 12 pictures already within the first half.

“I used to be a bit nervous as a result of particularly as a newly promoted facet, after you have such a dominant interval, and it was kind of the entire first half that we dominated, usually it’s important to reward your self additionally with the purpose as a result of at Premier League stage one little second can change your complete momentum.

“An skilled facet like Everton can come into the sport and take benefit, rating a purpose, after which the entire story is extra such as you get reward for the efficiency, however no factors on the board.”

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Arsenal – Viktor Gyokeres

Regardless of delivering an underwhelming debut and never managing a single shot in a league match for the primary time since April 2023, Gyokeres has demonstrated his goalscoring pedigree over the course of a number of seasons.

The massive Swede was on the scoresheet in 39 cases within the league for Sporting CP in the course of the 2024-25 season, rating first for many objectives scored within the Primeira Liga and recording probably the most objectives in a single top-flight season in Portugal since Jardel’s 42 objectives for Sporting in 2001-02.

Leeds – Lukas Nmecha

Nmecha solely tallied three objectives in 19 appearances for Wolfsburg within the Bundesliga final season, although he was sidelined for a considerable portion of the marketing campaign via harm.

Having signed for Leeds on a free switch this summer season, the German went on to attain in his bow for the membership, turning into the primary Leeds substitute to attain on his Premier League debut since Alan Smith in November 1998.

The 26-year-old ahead will likely be hoping he can proceed the place he left off on Monday when his facet go to the Emirates Stadium.

MATCH PREDICTION: ARSENAL WIN

Arsenal have remained unbeaten of their final 42 Premier League house matches towards promoted groups (37 wins and 5 attracts), with their final defeat coming as a 1-0 loss to Newcastle in November 2010.

If Arteta’s facet keep away from defeat of their upcoming recreation, they may match Chelsea’s document for the longest unbeaten house streak towards promoted sides within the competitors, which lasted 43 video games from 2001 to 2015.

The Gunners are additionally unbeaten of their final 14 conferences with Leeds in all competitions (W12 D2), profitable every of the final six in a row.

Leeds, in the meantime, have struggled away at Arsenal, shedding 10 of their final 12 Premier League video games there, with simply two wins, and have did not hold a clear sheet of their final 14 visits.

Moreover, Leeds have misplaced 23 of their final 30 league matches performed away in London (4 wins and three attracts). Within the Premier League particularly, they’re on a seven-game shedding streak away from house, relationship again to a 2-1 victory over Brentford on the ultimate day of the 2021-22 season.

However their efficiency towards Everton will give them confidence. Leeds need to win their opening two Premier League video games in a season for the primary time since 2002-03 beneath Terry Venables.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Arsenal – 70.4%

Draw –17.2%

Leeds –12.5%