James Trafford leads Premier League save count before Arsenal test

James Trafford saves have topped the Premier League goalkeeper count across the opening five gameweeks as Leeds United head to Arsenal, according to the club’s latest match preview.

The England international has made 20 saves, helping Leeds arrive at the Emirates unbeaten. Daniel Farke’s side have conceded only three goals in their first five league matches, a joint-best defensive record at this stage.

Featured photo: James Trafford in a file photo from his Burnley days, April 2025. Photo: Timmy96, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped).

James Trafford saves behind Leeds’ start

Leeds’ official preview, published on Friday 9^th October, highlights Trafford’s contribution before the return to league action.

The saves included five in Gameweek 5, when Leeds were held to a goalless draw by Crystal Palace at Elland Road before the international break. Leeds have nine points from their first five matches.

The defensive record is a team achievement, not the work of one player. Trafford’s save total is one part of it, alongside the protection provided by the players in front of him.

James Trafford saves and the FPL figures

The preview’s Fantasy Football Scout section backs up the story, listing him at £5.0m, with 28 points. He is Leeds’ second-highest FPL scorer and the third-highest scoring goalkeeper in the game at the time of the preview.

The Palace match brought his first double-digit FPL return of the season. The five saves also earned a save point.

Those James Trafford saves figures describe the opening five gameweeks. They are not a prediction of his score against Arsenal, and prices and ownership can change after publication.

Arsenal offer a different test

Saturday 10^th October’s 12.30pm visit to the Emirates tests a Leeds side that has so far stayed hard to beat. Arsenal won their first four league matches before losing 3-0 at Brighton ahead of the international break.

Leeds’ strong defensive start, built partly on James Trafford saves, is a useful platform, but it does not make the task simple. Farke has already described the match as a chance to measure his side’s progress and warned that Arsenal will want a response.

Read our report on Farke’s Arsenal progress test for the manager’s view.

The current Leeds squad update covers the availability issues before the match. Trafford’s statistics do not confirm the starting team; selection remains the manager’s decision.

For Leeds supporters, the 20 James Trafford saves give a clear measure of how involved the goalkeeper has been. The next question is whether Leeds can carry their defensive consistency into one of the toughest away games of the season.

No verified current embeddable Trafford clip was available for this draft.