Rupture: Leeds United vs Arsenal, 21st November 1992

After losing 4-0 to Manchester City and being knocked out of the Coca-Cola Cup by Watford took Leeds United's winless streak to seven, Howard Wilkinson told the press he was off to a health farm for the weekend to recover. "I'll be drinking lemon juice and carrot juice, eating lettuce and reading some books on philosophy," he said.

Patrick Andersson, one of the Swedish international defenders Wilkinson was hoping to buy to solve United's defensive crisis, reckoned Wilko had relaxed too much. "It was midnight and he was in his dressing gown," he complained about their hotel meeting. "He thought he could discuss my future in ten minutes but he was wrong." Despite being offered £1,500 a week, Andersson and his pal Joachim Björklund were unimpressed by the prospect of joining Leeds.

Wilkinson didn't seem to mind. Mel Sterland was almost ready to make his comeback in the reserves, while Tony Dorigo's return to fitness meant the back four that finished the previous season as champions were back together, with Jon Newsome at right-back in place of Sterland. During the international break, Wilkinson said, "I just worked with the back four all week. We tried to get two or three things clear in our minds, establish a positive attitude.

"Success can be a poor friend, a very effective enemy," he added, considering how United had stalled in six months since winning the biggest prize in English football. "We have to knuckle down, close ranks and dig in."

It was necessary work. In those seven winless games, Leeds had conceded sixteen goals. In 23 league and cup games, Leeds had kept two clean sheets. Arsenal were coming to Elland Road after winning their previous six matches; they were without striker Alan Smith, but Wilkinson pointed out that the remaining forward line — Ian Wright, Kevin Campbell, Paul Merson and Anders Limpar — were "the best four in the Premier League." Before the match Ian Wright said, "Leeds have got something we want - the League title - and we're going to do our best to go out and get it," and taking things from Leeds was not usually a problem for Arsenal, who hadn't lost to United since their return to the top flight.

But Leeds had taken the title from Arsenal, and Wright, who joined at the start of their defence of it, said he understood what Leeds were going through.

"Everybody wants to beat you. Teams who might play badly the previous week then raise their game immensely against you with their players performing like internationals. Leeds are finding that as well." His manager, George Graham, was refusing to believe Leeds wouldn't recover their form and challenge — publicly, at least. "This is going to be the most open championship race for years and I'm taking no notice of people who are writing off Leeds," he said, although it had the feel of mind games.

Graham felt any psychological upper hand he'd gained slipping away at four o'clock on the morning of the match, when he and his players were shivering in November rain outside the Holiday Inn in Leeds, their hotel evacuated by a bomb scare from a hoax caller. "I don't think it was Howard," said Graham. "He doesn't have an Irish accent."

While he did have a well drilled back four to face up to Arsenal's powerful forwards, Wilkinson was missing two key players. Injury to Eric Cantona meant that Rod Wallace was back to partner Lee Chapman in attack, but the team was prevented from returning to its classic title-winning shape as David Batty was injured too. Gary Speed moved into the centre in his place alongside Gary McAllister, Gordon Strachan swapped wings to the left, and £2m summer signing David Rocastle got his first Premier League start for Leeds, at last, playing on the right wing against his boyhood club. He had, "nothing to prove to Arsenal," he said, "It wasn't as if I was a flop there"; but after almost four months in the reserves at his new club, he did have something to prove to Leeds.

Leeds, after such a dreadful run of form, had something to prove to themselves, and in driving rain on a muddy pitch, they suddenly looked more like themselves. Batty's absence was a blow, but it was counteracted by Rocastle's determination to impress; Cantona's absence was a blow, but without him the team were freed from trying to work out how to play with him. The reliance on Chapman's aerial threat had increased almost in defiance of Cantona's demands for the ball to feet, and without Cantona to distract them from the playing style of almost three years, that reliance reduced. Instead of aiming long balls at the striker, the ball went to Strachan, McAllister and Rocastle's feet, and only to Chapman's head when their instincts told them it was right.