Leeds United (a pedagogical 4-1-4-1): Meslier; Ayling, Koch, Cooper, Dallas; Phillips;Alioski, Raphinha, Klich, Harrison; Bamford. Subs: Casilla, Poveda, Roberts, Costa, Rodrigo, Struijk, Davis.

Arsenal (a sophisticate’s 4-3-2-1): Leno; Bellerin, Holding, Gabriel, Tierney; Xhaka, Willock, Ceballos; Willian, Pepe, Aubameyang. Subs: Runarsson, Saka, Lacazette, Maitland-Niles, Mustafi, Nelson, Nketiah.

The world is strange and people are strange, so it’s no great shock that football is strange, it being played in the world, by people. But rarely has it been as strange as now, and the two teams playing this afternoon are stranger than most.

Few Premier League teams have impressed as much as Leeds this season, who were especially great against Liverpool and Man City. However consecutive 1-4 defeats, to Leicester and Palace, indicated a fragility in defence and in the mind, and somehow they are now 15th in the table. This is not so impressive.

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