A Leeds United player has suggested his side will look to press and play aggressively against Arsenal this weekend, rather than sitting deep for long spells at Elland Road.
Arsenal head into the match without a win from their last three league games, having taken just two points from that run, but arrive well rested after fielding a fully rotated side against Kairat Almaty in the Champions League on Wednesday.
Mikel Arteta is in the unusual position of having only one injury in his squad, with 16-year-old Max Dowman the sole absentee.
Leeds are expected to pose a stern test, and there has been concern among Arsenal supporters that the game could follow a familiar pattern, with the hosts defending deep and looking to frustrate an attack that has not be firing as it should.
However, comments from Ilia Gruev suggest Leeds intend to take a more proactive approach, and that should be a good thing for the Gunners.
Speaking to Premier League Productions, the Bulgarian international acknowledged the challenge Arsenal present, but made clear Leeds do not plan to simply wait in their own half.
“We of course know the past results of us and Arsenal but at the end it comes down to 90 minutes,” he said.
“We know that it is really tough to play at Elland Road with the fans and the atmosphere. So, we will give our best, we will play aggressive and try to win the points at home.
“It is going to be an intense game. I think it is important to play aggressive and press often because I think if you only stay deeper and wait the whole time, they have too much quality. So, you have to find your moments.
“There are going to be periods where we have to suffer a little bit and not concede a goal. But then we need to find our moments to take the crowd with us. We know our results at home, we know how tough it is to play at our place, so we want to show this again.
“I think the most important thing is that we have good results which we have and I also feel that the more I play, I get more confidence and I feel better on the pitch.
“I try always to help the team to have a good influence, to speak a lot and I think at the moment this is working quite good.”
The context, however, remains encouraging for Arsenal.
Leeds are winless in their last six home league games against the Gunners, and Arsenal have won the last six league meetings overall by an aggregate score of 20-5, including a 5-0 victory in the reverse fixture earlier this season on the opening weekend.