Jurgen Klopp says his Liverpool players are "1,000 per cent committed" to domestic matters despite the looming Qatar 2022 World Cup.

The Reds have struggled this season, falling well off the pace of the Premier League title race, after a blockbuster 2021-22 campaign that saw them come close to a historic quadruple.

Though the team will be handed an enforced rest by the mid-season break for Qatar 2022, several of their stars will head straight to international duty, unless they are injured over the coming weeks.

The prospect of missing out on the plane to the tournament has seen some wonder if players could pull their metaphorical punches.

But speaking ahead of his side's Saturday clash with Leeds United, Liverpool manager Klopp disabused such notions.

Klopp told reporters: "This happens every year when the World Cup is usually in the summer, and the big finals are in the summer as well.

"So, if you are involved in the finals of the Champions League, the FA Cup, whatever, there is no player who thinks about the World Cup.

"They want to win the final [in front of them]. It is a logical thing.

"If the last match day decides qualifying for the Champions League or staying in the league, there is no player I know who thinks, 'Be careful', the players I know are 1,000 per cent committed with us here."

Ahead of the match at Anfield, Klopp further cautioned his side to expect a response from under-fire Leeds, who are looking to pull free of another relegation battle this term under Jesse Marsch.

"I heard Jesse Marsch say he was sick of losing," Klopp added. "We saw his half-time talk at Salzburg, so he is obviously pretty lively in the dressing room. He will set them on fire."

Liverpool start the weekend sitting in eighth position, while Leeds are 18th.

Liverpool fans will say their team is like a box of chocolates at the moment in that you never know what you're going to get, and also they can be hazardous to your health.

A wobbly start to the campaign looked to have got back on track after wins against Manchester City and West Ham, only for an insipid defeat at Nottingham Forest last week to send Jurgen Klopp's men back into crisis.

A 3-0 win at Ajax on Wednesday to secure their place in the last 16 of the Champions League should boost confidence again, but it is still anyone's guess as to which version of the Reds will turn up when they host Leeds United on Saturday.

Jesse Marsch heads to Anfield under serious pressure himself, with Leeds having not won in eight Premier League games (D2, L6) since beating Chelsea 3-0 at Elland Road in August.

Stats Perform has taken a look behind the numbers heading into this clash to try and get to the bottom of what can be expected.

Home comforts can calm Reds nerves

They may have not had the best start to the campaign domestically, having not won any of their five Premier League away games (D2 L3), but Liverpool remain a force to be reckoned with at Anfield.

Klopp's side are unbeaten 29 league home games (W22 D7), scoring 73 goals and conceding just 16 in that run.

It has not all been plain sailing, having fallen behind in five of their previous six at Anfield prior to back-to-back 1-0 wins against City and West Ham, but more often than not they get the job done.

Virgil van Dijk is still yet to suffer a Premier League defeat in his home stadium since his move from Southampton in January 2018 (70 games – W59 D11).

You've lost that winning feeling

When Leeds were celebrating a well-earned victory against Chelsea on August 21, few would have thought they would not have experienced another by late October.

As mentioned, the Whites are winless in their last eight league games, which is the longest current run of any team in the Premier League.

Leeds have also lost each of their past four away games, last losing five in a row on the road in the top flight between January and March 2003 – the fifth game of which was at Liverpool, where they were beaten 3-1.

They will also be missing several players through injury, with Rodrigo Moreno's likely absence a blow as the Spaniard has scored five goals in 10 Premier League games this season, just one fewer than he netted in 31 appearances last season, and just two less than he managed in his best scoring season in the competition in 2020-21 (seven in 26 games).

Mo Salah, fewer problems

Mohamed Salah has been the subject of much debate this season, seemingly not hitting his usual heights.

Last season's joint-top scorer in the Premier League seemingly enjoys facing Leeds, though, having been involved in six goals in two home appearances against them (five goals, one assist).

Salah has 10 goals in 17 games in all competitions, and is coming off another fine finish to open the scoring in Liverpool's victory in Amsterdam on Wednesday.

The Egypt forward has also created more chances from open play than any other player in the Premier League this season (28). He is creating 2.6 chances per 90 minutes on average this season, his best rate in a single campaign in the competition.

No more bottom feeding

While they have dropped some sloppy points this season, Liverpool could at least take some comfort in the fact their only Premier League defeats had been against fellow big fish Manchester United and Arsenal.

That was until last week when they handed three points to bottom club Forest, and they will be looking to avoid a similar story this time around.

Liverpool have not lost consecutive Premier League games against sides in the relegation zone since March 2012, when a defeat at QPR was followed by a home loss to Wigan Athletic.

They have already lost more league games this season (three) than they did in the whole of 2021-22 (two), while their 16 points from 11 games is their worst return at this stage of a campaign since 2014-15 (14).

Leeds might smell blood, or arguably more likely, face the wrath of a wounded beast.

Jurgen Klopp emphasised the importance of the three Premier League matches Liverpool will play before the World Cup break as they look to recover ground on their rivals.

Liverpool took the title fight all the way to the final day of the 2021-22 season, narrowly losing out to Manchester City, but they enter this weekend down in eighth, 12 points behind leaders Arsenal.

Ahead of the season pausing next month, the Reds will face Leeds United on Saturday, before visiting Tottenham after a Champions League clash with Napoli and hosting Southampton following an EFL Cup tie against Derby County.

Klopp's side at least head into the Leeds game on a high, having secured their progress in Europe with a 3-0 win at Ajax.

Since losing 4-1 at Napoli, Liverpool have been flawless in the Champions League, although they have only won one of the three domestic matches that have followed directly after European successes.

Asked about the prospect of taking confidence from the win in Amsterdam, Klopp replied: "I think we've had this conversation or a similar conversation after all the games we won or won convincingly – Bournemouth, Rangers, Ajax."

But he added: "We have to. It's a better feeling. Of course, I sit here with a different feeling than if we'd lost to Ajax and we had to play Leeds and then we have a final against Napoli.

"I would feel different, I can tell you. At the moment, it's not too important.

"We have to see who we can use again. The situation is it's a tough five games until the World Cup break; for us, they're all super important.

"Then there's a long break and we'll see how we come back and how others come back.

"We have to create the basis for the time after, and we have three games in the league, which are all difficult. I can't find an easy one. After the World Cup break, we are the first to face Unai Emery with Aston Villa, and we have no idea what they will do then. Great.

"That's our situation. Yes, the moment is okay, we are ready to fight again, I hope the people are ready to fight again.

"It's 19:45, Saturday night, a great time to play a football game. Everybody is in the right shape, and let's go for it."

For opponents Leeds, Klopp has seen "a massive difference between the results they got and the performance they put in".

It was suggested Leeds' struggles might be evidence of a highly competitive Premier League, and Klopp answered: "City is not running away, which makes it already more competitive.

"There is not only two teams or one team up front; there are three, four, five teams up front. My problem with that is only that we are not one of them."

Five points behind Newcastle United in fourth, let alone the title contenders, Klopp is looking to swiftly get Liverpool back on track.

He should at least be boosted by the presence of Thiago Alcantara and Jordan Henderson in midfield. Thiago is back, while Henderson should "be okay" after he was substituted at Ajax.

Jurgen Klopp has "no idea" how good Darwin Nunez could become but believes the Liverpool forward's output so far has been "incredible" considering the "knock" of his early suspension.

Nunez was Liverpool's big-money pre-season signing, arriving from Benfica for a fee that could reportedly reach £85million (€100m).

The 23-year-old enjoyed a flying start to life in England, scoring from the bench against both Manchester City and Fulham, but his first appearance in the starting XI was cut short by a red card against Crystal Palace that prompted a three-match ban.

As a result, Nunez has still only played 636 minutes for Liverpool in late October, although he has been in the thick of the action when he has been on the pitch.

The Uruguay forward has six goals and an assist, and he might have added more; he is averaging 6.4 shots per 90 in open play, almost double second-placed Liverpool star Mohamed Salah's 3.3.

Including chances created and contributions to build-up play, Nunez has been involved in 8.1 attacking sequences per 90 in open play – another leading mark among Liverpool players.

He has marginally underperformed his 6.4 expected goals, even if his expected goals on target value – calculated from the quality of the attempt rather than the quality of the chance – of 6.6 suggests his finishing has not largely been at fault.

Those numbers might easily be ignored in the face of some of the more eye-catching misses, as Nunez has converted only four of his 14 'big chances', from which Opta would expect a player to score.

Speaking ahead of Saturday's game against Leeds United, Klopp listed a range of factors that would suggest a tough first season for Nunez, meaning he is willing to forgive those occasional failings in front of goal.

"Darwin came here after a short break in the summer, arriving in Asia, doesn't speak a word [of English], and he's young, and Liverpool's a big club, and it's a big step for him, and he was expensive," Klopp said. "All these kinds of things.

"It's like everybody's looking at you – the whole place is dark and there's one light that's a spot on you. You have to deal with that, but we don't expect them to deal immediately. If you cause it, then you have to be prepared, but he did not."

After the red card, Klopp said: "He feels embarrassed for himself, definitely – that's how everybody would react.

"From not being 100 per cent confident, getting a knock like this is not cool. He can blame nobody else. Then he has to start new."

However, his manager added: "For all these things, his numbers are incredible, to be absolutely honest.

"You talk about the xG of Leeds, I'm pretty sure his xG is high as well. He had a few chances, which he missed, but he scored as well. He's involved in a lot of finishing moments.

"The steps he's made are really big, and that means automatically that he settles in more and more."

With Nunez so impactful even while passing up such opportunities, his potential with a little more work is "so exciting".

"Nobody knows [how good he can be]; he doesn't know," Klopp said. "That is so exciting.

"He has to stay fit and be available all the time, and he wasn't against Nottingham [Forest]. That's all important in the life of a professional football player.

"We have to work on all different areas. The potential is incredible. It's not only speed; the attitude is really good, he's a real worker.

"There are people out there who, technically, not sure, first touch... it's incredible. He does not bring it on the pitch in the moment all the time. His first touch might be here or there sometimes, but it's nothing to do with technique. It's just a bit too late, awareness, orientation, all these kinds of things.

"It's all possible to develop and learn, and that's where we are at. It's really exciting. But where it could go? I have no idea."

North London giants Tottenham and Arsenal endured frustrating outings as the Premier League saw more twists and turns on an action-packed Sunday.

Spurs' Champions League hopes suffered a blow as they were edged out by Newcastle United in the day's headline clash, with goals from Callum Wilson and Miguel Almiron helping the visitors to a 2-1 win.

That result saw Eddie Howe's side climb into the top four, and there was another surprise at the summit as leaders Arsenal were pegged back by Southampton in a 1-1 draw.

At the bottom of the table, meanwhile, Fulham increased the pressure on Leeds United boss Jesse Marsch and Leicester City leapfrogged Wolves by trouncing them 4-0 at Molineux.

Here, Stats Perform picks through the most interesting facts to emerge from Sunday's action.  

Tottenham 1-2 Newcastle United: Magnificent Magpies go fourth

Tottenham approached Sunday's match having won eight consecutive league games on home soil, but Newcastle seized the initiative with an outstanding first-half display to end that run and move within two points of Antonio Conte's team.

Hugo Lloris' bizarre error allowed Wilson to put Newcastle ahead, with the France captain hitting the deck as the striker lobbed into an unguarded net from range.

Wilson's goal was his first in the Premier League from outside the penalty area since January 2019 (for Bournemouth v West Ham), and just the second of his 65 goals in the competition to come from more than 18 yards out.

Newcastle were two goals ahead within 10 minutes of that strike, with Almiron scoring his fifth goal in his last five Premier League outings – as many as he had netted in his previous 61. 

While Harry Kane pulled one back after the break, Newcastle held on to ensure they went fourth after 12 games of the season – this is the latest point at which they have occupied such a lofty position since April 2012, when they sat fourth after 35 matches of the campaign.

Southampton 1-1 Arsenal: Armstrong denies Gunners four-point lead

Arsenal went to St Mary's looking to re-establish a four-point lead over Manchester City at the summit, but saw their run of 27 Premier League games without a draw halted as they slipped up.

Granit Xhaka converted Ben White's cross to put Arsenal ahead – with four goals this season in all competitions, Xhaka is enjoying his joint-best goalscoring campaign with the Gunners, and he has scored in back-to-back games for the club for just the second time (also in September 2016).

However, Stuart Armstrong replied with his first goal in 21 league games as the Saints fought back – each of his last seven Premier League goals have now come at St Mary's.

Arsenal were unable to find a late winner, meaning they dropped points after opening the scoring in a Premier League game for the first time since New Year's Day (1-2 v City), ending their run of 18 straight wins when scoring first.

Wolves 0-4 Leicester City: Lethal Foxes leapfrog sorry hosts

At Molineux, Wolves' nightmare campaign continued as a clinical Leicester side ran out 4-0 winners despite recording just five shots to their hosts' 21.

Wolves have now lost five of their last six Premier League games, failing to score four times during that run, and are enduring their worst ever goalscoring start to a season in the competition with just five goals in 12 games. 

Leicester took the lead through an incredible effort from Youri Tielemans, who picked out the top-left corner to score the Foxes' seventh goal from outside the penalty area this season – the most of any side in the Premier League.

Harvey Barnes, Jamie Vardy and James Maddison then added some gloss to the scoreline, with the latter doing his hopes of an England call-up no harm with another fine display.

Maddison has amassed 28 goal contributions in the Premier League since the start of last season, a tally only bettered by Kane (37) among English players.

Leeds United 2-3 Fulham: Pressure builds on Marsch as Willian shines

Leeds joined Wolves in the bottom three after Fulham dealt them a fourth consecutive Premier League defeat at Elland Road, piling more pressure on beleaguered boss Marsch. 

Leeds have collected nine points from their 11 games this season, their fewest at this stage of a campaign since 2003-04 (eight), when they went on to be relegated from the Premier League. 

Meanwhile, Fulham have posted back-to-back Premier League wins for the first time since April 2019 under Scott Parker (a run of three), having failed to win consecutive matches at any point in their last top-flight season (in 2020-21).

Willian's 84th-minute strike ultimately proved decisive for Marco Silva's men, on the day the former Chelsea and Arsenal winger made his 264th Premier League appearance.

Among Brazilian players, only Manchester City great Fernandinho has appeared as often in the competition. 

Arsenal have been charged by the Football Association (FA) with failing to control their players during a controversial ending to their 1-0 win over Leeds United on Sunday.

Mikel Arteta's team moved four points clear of Manchester City at the Premier League summit as Bukayo Saka scored the only goal of the game at Elland Road, though they required two huge reprieves. 

Patrick Bamford drilled a penalty wide following a handball by William Saliba on the hour mark, before a VAR review overturned a stoppage-time red card for Gabriel Magalhaes – as well as another spot-kick for Leeds.

Arsenal's players reacted furiously to Chris Kavanagh's original decision to dismiss Gabriel for a perceived kick at Bamford, leading the FA to take action.

An FA statement released on Thursday read: "Arsenal FC have been charged with a breach of FA Rule E20.1 following their Premier League fixture against Leeds United FC on Sunday 16 October 2022. 

"It's alleged that the club failed to ensure that their players conducted themselves in an orderly fashion during the 92nd minute of the fixture.

"Arsenal FC have until Monday 24 October 2022 to provide a response."

Asked for his opinion on the incident after the win, Arteta said: "I have not seen it, but everyone is saying the decision was clear. 

"Thank God they made the system work, that delay was worth it, because without VAR, I don't know what would have happened!"

Mohamed Salah condemned Manchester City to a first Premier League defeat of the season as Liverpool took all three points in a brilliant game at Anfield.

A long ball from Alisson was latched onto by Salah before he fired past Ederson to earn Liverpool just their third league win of the campaign.

Chelsea beat struggling Aston Villa 2-0 and Arsenal secured a 1-0 victory over Leeds United at Elland Road, while Manchester United and Newcastle United played out a hard-fought goalless draw at Old Trafford.

Here, Stats Perform picks out the best facts from the day's Premier League action.

Liverpool 1-0 Manchester City: Salah maintains Reds' unbeaten Anfield record

Liverpool's impressive home form continued as they made it 28 Premier League matches unbeaten at Anfield (21 victories, seven draws) with a win over the champions.

Salah's strike makes it 14 goal involvements for him against City in all competitions, more than against any other opponent, while he is the second player to score in four consecutive Premier League home appearances against the Citizens, after Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink between 2000 and 2004.

Alisson has now assisted Salah three times in the Premier League, more than any other goalkeeper-outfield player combination in competition history.

The defeat for City means Pep Guardiola has now lost 11 games against Jurgen Klopp, at least four more than against any other coach.

Aston Villa 0-2 Chelsea: Mount double adds to Gerrard pressure

Steven Gerrard's job security was already coming into question before Graham Potter's Blues took victory at Villa Park on Sunday with two Mason Mount goals and an impressive display from goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga.

Since Gerrard took over as Villa head coach in November 2021, only Watford (12) and Norwich (nine) have lost more home Premier League games than the Villans (eight).

Chelsea were fired to victory by Mount, who scored his 25th and 26th Premier League goals for the Blues, becoming the second-youngest player to reach the 25-goal landmark for the club (23y 279d), after Eden Hazard (23y 271d).

Potter's impressive start to life as Chelsea boss continues with his fifth win in six games since taking over (one draw). Those five victories have come in the last five matches, the joint-longest winning run of Potter's managerial career.

7 - Kepa Arrizabalaga made seven saves while keeping a clean sheet against Aston Villa, his most saves without conceding in his top-flight league career. The Spaniard was expected to concede at least two goals based on the placement of the on-target shots he faced. Rejuvenated. pic.twitter.com/RPJNZeqImR

Leeds United 0-1 Arsenal: Saka strikes again as Gunners continue strong start

Bukayo Saka's 35th-minute goal at Elland Road was enough for Arsenal to record a ninth win in their opening 10 Premier League games, the first time in their history they have managed this in a top-flight campaign.

Arsenal were forced to ride their luck in the second half though, as Patrick Bamford put a penalty wide for Leeds with their first missed spot-kick in the Premier League since Alan Smith was denied by Brad Friedel against Blackburn in 2002.

The Gunners failed to register a second-half shot on target, while they failed to score after half-time in the Premier League for the first time this season.

Another defeat for Leeds means they are now winless in six Premier League games, losing four of these while drawing the other two as they remain without a top-flight win since August.

Manchester United 0-0 Newcastle United: Red Devils lacklustre in home draw

Manchester United were held by a Newcastle side who may feel disappointed not to have earned victory, having twice struck the woodwork through Joelinton.

The Red Devils went close on a couple of occasions late on but could not prevent the match finishing goalless, United's 76th Premier League game ending in a 0-0 scoreline and their 31st since Alex Ferguson retired in 2013.

Newcastle picked up a point at a stadium where they have struggled in the past, with their 3.6 per cent Premier League win rate (one win in 28 games) at Old Trafford their joint-lowest at any ground where they have played 10 or more times in the competition.

The visitors could have had all three points after an impressive first-half display, but their inability to find a decisive goal means they have now drawn six Premier League games this season, two more than any other side.

Two players with reason to be pleased were the goalkeepers, with David de Gea earning a shutout in his 500th Premier League appearance for United while Nick Pope enjoyed his 50th clean sheet in the top flight, with no English stopper keeping more since Pope's debut in the competition in September 2017 (level with Jordan Pickford).

Mikel Arteta declared "thank God" for VAR after Premier League leaders Arsenal held on for a 1-0 win at Leeds United.

Sunday's game at Elland Road was suspended just a couple of minutes after it started, as a power cut was affecting Hawk-Eye and communications between referee Chris Kavanagh and the VAR.

The match resumed following a delay of around 40 minutes and Bukayo Saka's fourth goal in three matches gave the Gunners a half-time advantage, the England international becoming the first player to register 50 goal involvements during Arteta's reign.

Leeds dominated the second half, Patrick Bamford having a goal disallowed for a push on Gabriel Magalhaes within a minute of coming on before missing a penalty.

Bamford wasted further clear-cut chances as Aaron Ramsdale kept Leeds at bay and there was one final twist when the Leeds striker was awarded another spot-kick after being kicked by Gabriel, who was shown a red card for retaliating.

However, referee Kavanagh instead awarded Arsenal a free-kick and showed Gabriel a yellow card, having seen on the pitchside monitor that Bamford had shoved the centre-back to the ground.

A seventh consecutive victory put the Gunners four points clear ahead of second-placed Manchester City's trip to Liverpool and Arteta was relieved after an action-packed afternoon in West Yorkshire.

Asked to reflect on the match, the Arsenal boss told Sky Sports: "Hectic! It is always really intense here, we were exceptional in the first half and should have been two or three up.

"Credit to Leeds in the second half, we made so many errors and did not generate momentum but I just love the relentless passion the team played with and how we found a way to win."

He added on the late VAR decision: "I have not seen it but everyone is saying the decision was clear. Thank God they made the system work, that delay was worth it because without VAR I don't know what would have happened!"

Arteta praised the character shown by his players on the back of a 1-0 Europa League win at Bodo/Glimt, where Saka scored the only goal of the game following his double in the 3-2 victory over Liverpool last weekend.

The Spaniard said: "This is something special. This is not a coincidence it shows the willingness that I see in the eyes of the players to win, to compete.

"A lot of players played in Norway two and a half days ago, travelled back on Friday and were still willing to win so credit to them."

Bukayo Saka was Arsenal's match-winner once again and Patrick Bamford endured a nightmare as the Premier League leaders secured a dramatic 1-0 win at Leeds United.

The Gunners would have been braced for a typically energetic start from Leeds, but play was suspended less than two minutes after it started as a power cut was affecting Hawk-Eye and communications between referee Chris Kavanagh and the VAR.

The in-form Saka gave the Gunners a first-half lead with his fourth goal in three matches after the game resumed following a delay of around 40 minutes.

Arsenal rode their luck to secure a seventh consecutive victory in all competitions, half-time substitute Bamford having a goal disallowed and missing a penalty.

Leeds were then awarded another spot-kick in stoppage time and Gabriel Magalhaes was shown a red card for kicking out at Bamford, but referee Kavanagh overturned his decision following a VAR check as the striker had pushed the Brazil defender – who was instead issued with a yellow card – before he lashed out.

Sunday's Premier League clash between Leeds United and leaders Arsenal was temporarily suspended soon after it started due to technical issues following a power cut at Elland Road.

The game had only been under way for a couple of minutes when referee Chris Kavanagh brought it to a halt, having lost contact with the VAR and also being unable to use goal-line technology.

Following a lengthy spell on the field attempting to keep warm, both sets of players were told to return to the dressing rooms by referee Kavanagh.

Leeds tweeted: "The game is temporarily suspended, after a power cut causes issues with the referee's communications systems."

Play in Yorkshire resumed around 30 minutes later, with Arsenal looking for a seventh consecutive win in all competitions to go four points clear ahead of second-placed Manchester City's trip to Liverpool later in the day.

Sunday's Premier League clash between Leeds United and leaders Arsenal was suspended soon after it started due to technical issues following a power cut at Elland Road.

The game had only been under way for a couple of minutes when referee Chris Kavanagh brought it to a halt, having lost contact with the VAR and also being unable to use goal-line technology.

Following a lengthy spell on the field attempting to keep warm, both sets of players were told to return to the dressing rooms by referee Kavanagh.

Leeds tweeted: "The game is temporarily suspended, after a power cut causes issues with the referee's communications systems."

Arsenal arrived in Yorkshire looking for a seventh consecutive win in all competitions to go four points clear ahead of second-placed Manchester City's trip to Liverpool later in the day.

Gabriel Jesus is a doubt for Arsenal's trip to Leeds United on Sunday, while Mikel Arteta only foresees his side's fixture pile-up getting worse after the World Cup.

Inspired new signing Jesus had played in all 11 of Arsenal's matches this season before missing the midweek win over Bodo/Glimt due to a knock sustained in last Sunday's victory over Liverpool.

But a rare break on Thursday while his team-mates were in Europa League action was not necessarily enough to see Jesus return at Leeds.

Arteta looked ahead to the Leeds match after full-time in Norway, at which point he was still unsure of his striker's status for the game at Elland Road.

"I don't know," Arsenal manager Arteta said of Jesus. "Obviously he has some discomfort after the game against Liverpool, and that's why we decided not to bring him in [to Norway].

"So, let's see how he is."

After Leeds, Arsenal host PSV in a match that was postponed following the death of Queen Elizabeth II last month.

That will be the third of five consecutive Thursdays on which Arsenal have Europa League commitments, with each game followed by a Premier League fixture on the Sunday.

But that gruelling schedule is unlikely to ease any time soon, with the Gunners beginning their involvement in the EFL Cup and FA Cup either side of the World Cup, as well as having two more postponed games to play in the Premier League.

Were Arsenal to finish second in their Europa League group, they would have even more fixtures to squeeze in due to a play-off round.

"I think [the fixture congestion] is already here," Arteta said, "but I think after the World Cup, it is going to be even worse, so I think it is good preparation for what is coming."

The mood at Arsenal remains positive, though, as Arteta's side lead the Premier League and could stretch their advantage to four points ahead of Manchester City visiting Liverpool later on Sunday.

That prospect was put to the Gunners boss, but his focus was only on Leeds.

"The trick is how are we going to prepare for Leeds, mentally and physically," he said. "It's going to be a battle.

"We know the way they play and how intense it is going to be and the crowd that they have, so it's going to be a challenge. We have to be at our best again to win there."

Gabriel Martinelli produced another outstanding display in a thriller against Liverpool last weekend and the Arsenal forward can torment Leeds United on Sunday.

If you have overlooked Martinelli for your fantasy team so far this season, now is the time to see the error of your ways and pick the Brazil international before he wreaks havoc at Elland Road.

Tottenham duo Harry Kane and Eric Dier can also rack up the points when they face Everton in the Premier League.

Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga is enjoying a new lease of life with Graham Potter at the helm and that could continue this weekend.

It's that time of the week when you need to be finalising your fantasy selections and help is at hand, as Stats Perform pick out the Opta data to point you in the right direction.

Kepa Arrizabalaga (Aston Villa v Chelsea)

Chelsea have made a great start to life under Potter and Kepa Arrizabalaga is certainly enjoying a new era at Stamford Bridge.

The Spaniard has taken over from Edouard Mendy as Chelsea's first-choice goalkeeper, and he has not conceded in the Blues' past three matches.

Of keepers who have played at least 180 minutes in the Premier League this season, only Neto (81.82 per cent) has a better save percentage than Kepa's 80. Only Wolves (3) have a lower goal tally than Aston Villa's seven in the top flight in the 2022-23 campaign, so Kepa looks like your man between the sticks this weekend.

Eric Dier (Tottenham v Everton)

Only Ruben Dias (4) has kept more clean sheets among defenders than Spurs centre-back Dier (3) this season.

The England international has also scored twice, with goal always a bonus for defenders in the battle for fantasy football prizes.

Everton have scored just the eight goals in nine Premier League games this season, so you can get a good return from putting Dier in your side.

Gabriel Martinelli (Leeds United v Arsenal)

Martinelli has scored four goals and provided two assists for leaders Arsenal this season.

Both assists have come in his past two matches and he stunned Liverpool with an early opening goal in a 3-2 thriller last Sunday.

Only Kevin De Bruyne (30) and Mohamed Salah (26) have created more chances than Martinelli's 20 this season. He could be too hot for Leeds to handle at Elland Road.

Harry Kane (Tottenham v Everton)

Spurs talisman Kane has scored in four consecutive Premier League games and he was also on target in a midweek Champions League win over Eintracht Frankfurt.

Only Erling Haaland (15)  can boast a better goal tally than Kane's eight in the top flight this season, while he is also one of only two players to have both 15 shots on target and 15 chances created (16 and 17). 

Kane's scoring streak can continue when he comes up against the Toffees, who could be up against it in the capital.

Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 700th goal in club football as Manchester United came from behind to beat Everton 2-1 at Goodison Park on Sunday.

Ronaldo reached the latest landmark of his spectacular career after coming on as a first-half substitute for the injured Anthony Martial, ensuring United returned to winning ways in the Premier League after the dismal derby defeat to Manchester City.

Elsewhere, Arsenal's young guns continued their stunning start to the season as Bukayo Saka's double and Gabriel Martinelli's early strike secured a thrilling 3-2 win over Liverpool at Emirates Stadium.

Crystal Palace came from behind to beat Leeds United 2-1 at Selhurst Park, while West Ham roared back to overcome Fulham 3-1.

Here, Stats Perform picks out the best data from another day of mouth-watering Premier League action.

Everton 1-2 Manchester United: Ronaldo hits yet another landmark

Ronaldo did not start on United's visit to Merseyside, but a first-half injury to Martial paved the way for him to create yet another slice of history.

The 37-year-old, who has also scored a record 117 international goals, has now taken his overall tally for United to 144 across two spells at Old Trafford, adding to a combined tally of 556 from his time at Sporting CP, Real Madrid and Juventus.

United had started sluggishly at Goodison Park and fell behind early on to Alex Iwobi's superb strike from 25 yards. The Nigerian has either scored or assisted in three consecutive Premier League appearances for only the second time in his career (also April 2016).

The Red Devils levelled soon after when Antony latched on to Martial's pass and beat Jordan Pickford, the Brazilian becoming the first United player to score in each of his first three appearances in the Premier League for the club.

Ronaldo then ensured United became the first team in Premier League history to have won 100 games after conceding the first goal.

Arsenal 3-2 Liverpool: Young guns pile on misery for Reds

This stirring victory meant Arsenal have won at least eight of their first nine league matches in a top-flight campaign for only the fourth time, after 2007-08, 2004-05 and 1947-48.

This latest triumph helped them sit atop the table nine or more games into a season for the first time since December 2016 (15th game).

Their three goals came from Saka (2) and Martinelli, who are both 21 years old. The Gunners have now scored 54 goals courtesy of players aged 21 and under in the Premier League under manager Mikel Arteta – 22 more than any other side since the Spaniard's first game in charge.

Liverpool are yet to win away from home in the Premier League this season (D2 L2); this is the first time since 2010-11 under Roy Hodgson that they have failed to win any of their opening four away games in a Premier League campaign.

With 10 points from eight games so far, it is their worst return at this stage of a Premier League campaign since 2012-13 (nine points), when they ultimately finished seventh.

Crystal Palace 2-1 Leeds United: Eagles bounce back as Yorkshiremen continue to struggle on the road

Eberechi Eze's fine strike helped Palace earn their first Premier League win since August (3-1 v Aston Villa), another game in which they conceded first. In this one, Pascal Struijk put Leeds ahead, but Odsonne Edouard soon got the Eagles back on level terms.

Palace have now won as many Premier League home games when conceding first this season as they did across the 2019-20 and 2021-22 campaigns (two). 

Leeds, meanwhile, are winless away from home in the Premier League this season (D1 L3), losing each of the last three in a row.

It is the second time in 2022 that the Whites have lost three consecutive away games, with the previous occasion coming in March.

West Ham 3-1 Fulham: In-form Scamacca strikes again for the Hammers

West Ham recovered from conceding Andreas Pereira's early strike to make it back-to-back Premier League wins for the first time since January, having beaten Wolves last time out.

Jarrod Bowen pulled the Hammers level from the penalty spot, before Gianluca Scamacca put them ahead with a cool lofted finish over Bernd Leno.

The Italian became the ninth player to score in both of his first two home starts in the Premier League for West Ham, and the first since their move to the London Stadium, with Diafra Sakho the previous player to do so at Upton Park in October 2014.

Michail Antonio added a late third to move level with Carlton Cole as the top scorer for West Ham in London derbies in the Premier League (14).

Cristiano Ronaldo's future at Manchester United remains uncertain after he reportedly tried to leave in the offseason.

The Portugal great has struggled to break into United's starting XI in the Premier League this term.

And Ronaldo cut a frustrated figure in United's 3-2 win over Omonia Nicosia in the Europa League on Thursday.

TOP STORY – MLS CLUB TO OFFER RONALDO A WAY OUT

David Beckham-owned MLS club Inter Miami are set to offer Cristiano Ronaldo a way out of Manchester United with a contract worth £30million per year, reports The Daily Star.

Ronaldo, who is a regular visitor to Florida, could make the move in January, with Phil Neville's Miami planning to replace Gonzalo Higuain, who announced his retirement last week.

One stumbling block, however, is that the deal is on the condition Ronaldo joins Inter on a free transfer, with United - who insisted on a fee when clubs enquired in the last transfer window - seemingly content to retain him for now.

ROUND-UP

– The Mirror claims Leeds United have agreed personal terms with PSV's Cody Gakpo, beating Manchester United in the pursuit for the 23-year-old Dutch forward. Leeds still need to thrash out a transfer fee with PSV for Gakpo to move in January.

– Paris Saint-Germain have joined the long list of clubs pursuing Shakhtar Donetsk winger Mykhaylo Mudryk reports Fichajes. Arsenal, Newcastle United and Real Madrid are also keen on him.

– PSG are also chasing a deal for Adrien Rabiot who is set to exit Juventus when his contract expires in mid-2023, according to Fichajes.

– El Nacional claims Real Madrid are interested in Benfica's 18-year-old centre-back Antonio Silva. Manchester United are also monitoring the Portuguese stopper.

– Manchester United's Diogo Dalot is being considered by Barcelona, who need to bolster their right-back options, reports Sport.