Leeds United

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Leeds United defender Jayden Bogle, speaking to BBC Radio Leeds before Wednesday's game against Chelsea: "I think with the quality we have, we can hurt any team in the league. We have to take confidence, especially from that second half against Manchester City. We have to take confidence into the Chelsea game and I think we'll get chances.

"It's frustrating conceding goals, but there's no individual blame to put on anyone. There's different things in each goal that you could could pick out from anywhere on the pitch where we could have avoided it. So we're not looking at it as 'we conceded from the left', we're conceding as a team, but we have to be better in that and we know that.

"We've got a great squad with great quality, it's just about getting everyone's confidence up to the top. We know chances are going to come. It's just about taking them in the right moments of the game."

On Leeds supporters: "Even when we've lost the game [at Manchester City], they stood up applauding us because we've shown them what what we can do. They respect that. They want to see fight, they want to see hard work, they want to see us competing, and in a few of the other games, we haven't done that. As players, sometimes you deserve that stick when you know you haven't been on it.

"When we give the minimum, which is working hard, battling for each other, being aggressive with and without the ball, that's what they want and we have definitely done that."

On Brenden Aaronson: "He's a great player. His work ethic, on and off the ball, is fantastic. He's easy to communicate with.

"I think for a defender, it's important when you've got someone in front of you that listens and slides in when you haven't got the ball, and is ready to press when we're ready to go.

"He's a fantastic player as long as he's playing with confidence, I think that's when we get the best out of him."

Listen to the full interview on BBC Sounds

Matthew Hobbs
BBC Sport journalist

Chelsea continue their bid to keep pace with leaders Arsenal as they travel to a Leeds United side on a run of four defeats.

BBC Sport examines some of the key themes ahead of their meeting at Elland Road.

Card-happy Chelsea

Chelsea's 1-1 draw with Arsenal on Sunday was creditable in the sense that Enzo Maresca's side earned a point against the league leaders despite playing almost an hour with 10 men.

Moises Caicedo's first-half red card was the fourth that Chelsea have received in just 13 league games this season - at least double the tally of any other team - although the issue of indiscipline has undermined Maresca's men for far longer.

Since the start of 2023-24, the Blues have been given 229 yellow cards and 10 reds - both the most of any Premier League club.

Maresca called his players "outstanding" after they took the lead with 10 men against Arsenal and, although they were unable to hold on, it did demonstrate their ability to cope without Caicedo.

Chelsea have gone 1-0 up in their past eight Premier League outings, a happy tendency that has somewhat masked the costs of having a player sent off.

Should they fail to keep 11 men on the pitch on Wednesday, they may find proceedings harder than predicted given their poor record at Elland Road.

Chelsea have won just six of their 48 away league games against Leeds (drawn 13, lost 29), their worst win ratio against teams they have visited at least 20 times, after Sheffield Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Chelsea boss Maresca has lost both of his previous league games against Leeds, while managing Leicester City in the Championship in 2023-24.

Leeds bidding to end losing run

Daniel Farke's side have lost four consecutive Premier League matches, equalling their longest losing streak from their previous top-flight campaign in 2022-23.

Leeds are on 11 points after 13 games and, while eight teams have had 11 points or fewer at this stage and survived - most recently Nottingham Forest in 2022-23 - Farke will want the losing streak to end as soon as possible before a congested run of fixtures in December.

Leeds' biggest problem so far this season has been an inability to shut other sides out.

They have conceded at least once in each of their past 10 Premier League games, having kept a clean sheet in two of their opening three matches this season - a failing that came back to haunt them after shipping a late goal to lose at Manchester City on Saturday.

Affairs at the other end of the pitch are more positive however, with Lukas Nmecha on a scoring run of three successive matches. If Leeds can match improved performances in attack with a tighter defence, they may yet fight their way out of trouble.

Leeds lumped it in the second half against Manchester City and it almost got them a point.

They were lucky to still be in the game at half-time but fair play to Daniel Farke for making the substitutes and changing the system, because he has been accused of not being proactive enough during games.

As lively as Leeds were, they still ended up empty-handed, however, and it means they really need something here.

You know they will give it a go but, again, it is going to be hard for them to get anything out of a Chelsea side who are in really good form.

There might be a bit of an edge to this one, because going back to my time as a Chelsea player there was always a rivalry here.

I don't think it will be as rough and tumble as it was when these teams met in the 1970 FA Cup final, but I'm going for the same outcome, which is a Chelsea win.

Sutton's prediction: 0-2

Read the full predictions and have your say

Adonis Storr
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

Daniel Farke is in trouble.

Leeds have been treading water for most of the season with no real attacking threat. And it isn't all the players' fault.

When Farke switched to a 3-5-2 for the second half at Manchester City on Saturday, Leeds looked a dynamic force. Two strikers at the top of the pitch and players who can attack well in possession.

In the Championship, the Whites dominated the ball and most of the matches were played in the middle of the pitch or just inside the opponent's half.

In the Premier League, Leeds' games are more stretched so a 3-5-2 makes more sense with an extra defender helping at the back and an extra striker helping at the front.

The wing positions have also been an issue. Brenden Aaronson has never looked natural in possession and Leeds have conceded a lot of goals down the left-hand side.

With Pascal Struijk helping on the left, Leeds looked more solid there.

Farke still seems to be figuring out how to survive in the top flight - but he may be running out of time. It has been reported senior figures at the club think he may be sacked if Leeds don't earn any points in the next two home games.

But the fixtures are not kind and Farke's side have dropped points at vital moments in games this year - early after kick-offs, late in stoppage time. It shows a lack of focus and character. But the Leeds boss has to take some of the blame for that.

Fans have been calling for him to switch formation and to make more aggressive substitutions. He finally acted at half-time against Manchester City but United were 2-0 down at that stage.

Farke has shown he can adapt, but is it too little, too late?

Find more from Adonis Storr at The Roaring Peacock, external

Katie Stafford
BBC Sport journalist

Leeds United boss Daniel Farke has been speaking to the media before Wednesday's Premier League game against Chelsea at Elland Road (kick-off 20:15 GMT).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Daniel James has injured a hamstring tendon and will be sidelined for at least eight weeks, but "it could be worse" if he requires surgery.

• On another setback for James: "It is disappointing news. It's tough. He has fought so hard to be back in his best shape. I have never seen him so disciplined in terms of training and after with nutrition. He was a bit heartbroken."

• Farke said James' injury does "influence" their plan for the January transfer window but they are not thinking that far ahead yet.

• Anton Stach has returned to training so is "definitely available" for Wednesday's game.

• Dominic Calvert-Lewin is fit enough to start the next game, with Farke adding: "He probably would have been able to start the Manchester City game, he might have even been annoyed he didn't. He should be annoyed he didn't as a striker. I wanted to be extra careful."

• On a possible change in formation after switching to a back five in the second half against Manchester City: "I am never married to base formations. I was always addicted to principles, but against different opponents you have to adapt a bit."

• He said Wednesday's opponents Chelsea are "one of the best teams in this country and Europe" so Leeds will need to be at their best level. Farke added: "We never play with fear. We play with confidence. We don't want to just deliver a good performance like the second half against City, we want to win as many points as possible."

Hear more from Farke on BBC Sounds

Follow all of Tuesday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

Image source, Getty Images

This was a question addressed on the latest episode of BBC Radio Leeds' Don't Go To Bed Just Yet podcast, with Simon Rix saying: "It's making it very hard to sack him, because it's good performance after good performance, isn't it? But no points.

"It's difficult being Daniel Farke, because he's trying to win football matches in the Premier League - which is very, very hard - but also have a system and an identity. You can't just rip it up at this point when you've done a lot of work to get everybody up to speed.

"I don't know if he's even complicated for himself by doing something good and it working. He really complicated Wednesday [against Chelsea]. If he goes back to 4-3-3 and we lose, then that's a whole load of abuse for him. If he changes it to what we did in the second half and we lose, he's more and more in a no-win situation - other than if he wins.

"Maybe we're lucky to have Daniel Farke. He has done some some good things, and if you compare it to the other relegation seasons, where it was [Jesse] Marsch and Javi [Gracia], the performances are better and more consistent. We're just not getting the points.

"Is that him? Is it the team? Is it the tiredness? Is it the tactics? Is it just the Premier League, which is stronger?

"I still think he's got time, because I don't know if [the board] think that anyone else can get any more out of these players. I think he'll get to January."

Adam Pope added: "Credit to the manager because they absolutely took it to Manchester City.

"A lot of people have come away with a bit of hope. The critics go: 'Well, we told you you need to change it and do something different.' But with limited resources going into the game, he made more changes than I expected him to.

"You get a feeling when the players are not having the manager any more, and that really doesn't seem to be a case right now."

Listen to the full episode of Don't Go To Bed Just Yet on BBC Sounds

A new episode of BBC Radio Leeds' Don't Go To Bed Just Yet podcast is now available on BBC Sounds.

Does a narrow defeat at Manchester City buy Daniel Farke some time as Leeds United boss?

Jonny Buchan, Adam Pope and Simon Rix discuss the match and what it means with a big week ahead.

Listen to the full episode here

Explore all Leeds United content on BBC Sounds

Chris Collinson
BBC Sport statistician

Teams sitting on 11 points or fewer after 13 Premier League games are usually in some trouble, but history shows survival is far from impossible.

Eight sides have managed to escape from that position, most recently Nottingham Forest in 2022-23, who had only nine points at this stage, yet pulled clear under Steve Cooper.

Perhaps the most striking example is Crystal Palace in 2013-14. The Eagles had just seven points after 13 matches and looked destined for relegation, but a managerial reset changed everything.

Ian Holloway departed on 23 October, Tony Pulis arrived a month later, and under the former Stoke boss, Palace surged to an 11th-place finish with 45 points. Caretaker Keith Millen bridged the gap with four games in between.

Interestingly, of the eight sides who survived from such a low base, only three made managerial changes mid-season: Palace (Pulis for Holloway), West Brom (Bryan Robson replacing Gary Megson) and Southampton (Mauricio Pochettino for Nigel Adkins).

For the others, stability rather than upheaval proved the route to safety - food for thought for West Ham, Leeds United, Burnley and Wolves who are either at or under that 11-point mark through 13 games this season.

We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League game between Man City and Leeds.

Here are some of your comments:

Man City fans

Gene: After scoring early and many missed opportunities, the complacency set in and then extended to the second half. This is the issue with this team - they get too comfortable passing the ball around without any sense of urgency to add to the advantage. The quality of players on this team should never put themselves in these common situations of fighting for a win in the waning moments.

Freddie: City were great in the first half, but after a change of tactics in the second half, we looked shaky and Leeds scored two. Great late winner from Phil Foden and he was amazing. Pleased to get the three points and keep Arsenal within reach. move on to Fulham on Tuesday.

Selim: Manchester City really had to dig themselves out of a hole with Foden rescuing the points. Just what happened to Haaland is a puzzle but I suspect he only relishes being the centre of attention. He wasn't on Saturday.

Martin: City were way too unconvincing. Dominant in the first half and should have been out of sight. However, Leeds changed things at half time and City started to implode. Leeds were by far the more threatening team. Only a moment of brilliance from the excellent Foden saved the day and broke Leeds' hearts. Haaland was anonymous but received little to no service.

Leeds fans

Steve: Shocking first half. A good tactical change at half-time, but why didn't Farke set us up like that for the off? City play exactly the same way every match - we should have planned to start the way we did in the second half.

Philip: This shows if we go down we go down fighting and we go down together.

Mark: Clearly a better second half than first. We learned how to keep Haaland quiet. The manager appears to have listened with team selection and earlier intervention with subs. Calvert-Lewin can score goals. There was real fight and effort and I appreciate that a lot. Didn't expect anything, got no points, but learned a lot.

Zach: Great performance, especially the second half. The lads showed fighting spirit and togetherness, and that's exactly what we need. Another game where we've more than matched our opponents. Farke deserves a lot of credit for that second half - he was bold and nearly got something from it. Hope our luck will turn soon and we starting getting the points we deserve.

Pundits Danny Murphy and Joe Hart join host Gabby Logan to bring you the action and talking points from Saturday's five Premier League fixtures.

Watch on BBC iPlayer here

And listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Man City 3-2 Leeds

• Sunderland 3-2 Bournemouth

• Everton 1-4 Newcastle

Image source, Getty Images

During a pretty abject first period Leeds United's gameplan appeared to totally revolve around long balls towards Daniel James and Lukas Nmecha.

The problem was that they simply had no support and were unable to retain the ball when it went forward.

Yet with the potential for the scoreline to get ugly, Daniel Farke decided to twist, rather than stick, by reverting to a 3-5-2 formation and playing with two centre-forwards after the break.

It was a brave decision from the German, who has received criticism for Leeds' lack of adventure and goals.

Yet it almost reaped dividends with both Nmecha and Dominic Calvert-Lewin scoring as their more direct approach unsettled Manchester City and laid the platform for a brave fightback that was only spoiled by Phil Foden's late intervention.

Leeds boss Daniel Farke told BBC Sport: "We came here not for compliments or warm words, we came here for points. We had the worst possible start to this game. Normally, if you want points here you have to win the set-pieces. I have to give many compliments to my lads. We deserved to equalise. Both teams could have won it.

"Heartbreaking for my lads. We're disappointed because we deserved something but my boys should be proud of how they reacted to the worst possible start. They should take lots of confidence out of this."

On half-time changes: "We changed a bit our pressing. The execution wasn't great [in the first half]. Change our structure in possession to have better passing angles."

On whether this performance gives them belief: "We had the belief before the game, during the game and after the game. Or else you can't come back with a performance like that. We have great unity and fighting spirit.

"We didn't reach the Premier League in a lottery. We fully deserve to play in this league. Except Arsenal away we've had tight games and sometimes been the better side. One of toughest places against one of best teams in the world. I'd have preferred points but I'm very happy with the performance.

"We do our speaking on the pitch. Actions speak louder than words. We've shown a really good performance. We played against sone of the best team in Europe. We've shown wherever we go if we are concentrated and focused we have the quality to win points."

Did you know?

• Leeds United have now lost four consecutive Premier League matches, equalling their longest losing streak from their previous top-flight campaign in 2022-23, which ended with relegation (four games in October 2022, under Jesse Marsch).

• Lukas Nmecha has scored in his last three Premier League appearances for Leeds United, equalling his longest scoring streak as a player within Europe's big five leagues (3 for Wolfsburg – October-November 2021).

Hear more from Farke on BBC Sounds

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

What did you make of Man City’s display?

Have your say on Leeds' performance

Come back on Monday for a selection of your replies

Manchester City make one change from their Premier League defeat to Newcastle last Saturday.

Tijjani Reijnders comes in for Rayan Cherki, while the likes of Erling Haaland and Phil Foden both start after coming on as substitutes in the Champions League loss to Bayer Leverkusen last Tuesday.

Man City XI: Donnarumma, Nunes, Dias, Gvardiol, O'Reilly, Foden, Gonzalez, Silva, Reijnders, Doku, Haaland.

Subs: Trafford, Stones, Ake, Marmoush, Cherki Ait Nouri, Savinho, Khusanov, Lewis.

Leeds United make five changes to the team that started their 2-1 loss to Aston Villa last weekend. Daniel James, Ao Tanaka, James Justin, Wilfried Gnonto and Ilia Gruev all come in as Gabriel Gudmundsson, Brenden Aaronson, Noah Okafor all drop to the bench with Sean Longstaff and Anton Stach missing out.

Leeds XI: Perri, Bogle, Rodon, Struijk, Justin, Tanaka, Ampadu, Gruev, Gnonto, Nmecha, James.

Subs: Meslier, Gudmundsson, Calvert-Lewin, Piroe, Aaronson, Bijol, Okafor, Harrison, Byram.

There are five games in the Premier League on Saturday and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.

• Brentford v Burnley

• Manchester City v Leeds United - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Sunderland v Bournemouth - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

• Everton v Newcastle (17:30) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Tottenham v Fulham (20:00)

Kick-off times 15:00 GMT unless stated

Follow all of the action and reaction here

You can also listen to today's 5 Live Premier League commentaries on most smart speakers. Just say "ask BBC Sounds to play Sunderland v Bournemouth" or "ask BBC Sounds to play Everton v Newcastle", for instance.

Find out more about how to listen to Premier League football on BBC Sounds

It was Leeds' home defeat to Aston Villa that cost me in my predictions last week, because I went for a draw, but I was at that game and they could easily have got something from it.

It feels like they put so much into the first half, that they were not able to maintain that intensity and, from what I saw, there must also be question marks over whether they are going to score enough goals.

I am at this game too, for Radio 5 live, but there is no way I am predicting that Leeds will get anything this time.

Their home form has been decent, but away they have struggled - and the last time they kept a clean sheet anywhere was the end of August.

Manchester City have had a bad week too, with defeats to Newcastle and Bayer Leverkusen.

City boss Pep Guardiola made 10 changes for the Leverkusen game which was a strange thing to do, and it backfired massively because now his team have got work to do to make the next round.

Before the international break, their recent form suggested they had turned the corner and were going to go on a run to really push Arsenal. Two defeats in a week in two different competitions tells a different story, though.

Even so, I don't see City having any problems here. Playing Leeds, at home, is a great opportunity for them to get back on track.

This is the game where everyone who does Fantasy Premier League, myself included, is thinking triple-captain Erling Haaland and he will score a barrel-load.

Sutton's prediction: 4-0

Read the full predictions and have your say here

Jordan Butler
BBC Sport journalist

Manchester City will hope for a much-improved performance and all three points as they host 18th-placed Leeds on Saturday (15:00 GMT). BBC Sport explores the key themes ahead of this clash.

'Too many changes'

It's been a week to forget for City who have suffered back-to-back defeats for the second time this season, with Pep Guardiola taking "full responsibility" for the latest of those in midweek.

Guardiola's decision to make 10 alterations to his side on his 100th Champions League game in charge of the club backfired as they were beaten 2-0 at home by Bayer Leverkusen.

"Too many changes," admitted the 54-year-old in his post-match press conference. "It was the first time in my life I've done it and it was too much."

Haaland's hundred

Erling Haaland was one of those rested on Tuesday and he will surely start this weekend as Guardiola seeks to return to winning ways. The Norwegian is one shy of 100 Premier League goals and it would be fitting if his landmark strike came against a club for which he has strong feelings.

Haaland was born in Leeds as his father, Alf-Inge, played 92 times for the West Yorkshire side between 1997 and 2000 and the City goal machine often wore a Leeds kit as a child. The 25-year-old scored twice at Elland Road in a 3-1 victory in December 2022 and his celebrations were subdued. He explained afterwards that it was due to his respect for the opposition.

Should Haaland find the net on Saturday, then he would top an illustrious list as the fastest player to reach a century of Premier League goals, achieving the feat in 14 fewer appearances than the division's all-time top scorer, Alan Shearer.

City will take confidence from the fact that they have won 23 of their past 25 Premier League games against promoted opposition, drawing the other two. However, the last time they lost to a top-flight newcomer was at home to Leeds United in April 2021.

Leeds better than results suggest

Three successive Premier League defeats and five in their past six games has increased the pressure on Leeds boss Daniel Farke.

Fans appear divided on the German coach's future and although he has credit in the bank after last season's 100-point title success in the second tier, he is swiftly using that up.

Leeds have scored first in the past two matches but have been unable to convert those leads into points and they are the second-lowest scorers in the league, with 11 goals from 12 games.

However, the underlying stats suggest that Leeds are playing like a mid-table side and, according to Opta's model, they should have scored four more Premier League goals and conceded almost six fewer.

Leeds have a better expected goals total than Tottenham, Aston Villa and Sunderland this season and lower expected goals against than Spurs and Manchester United.

Farke also has previous when it comes to defeating Guardiola's City. His newly promoted Norwich side defeated the Sky Blues 3-2 back in September 2019.

The 49-year-old could become just the second manager to beat the Citizens while in charge of two different promoted clubs following Bryan Robson, who did so twice with Middlesbrough in 1995-96 and once with West Bromwich Albion in 2004-05.

City are a different beast these days, however, and if Farke can mastermind another victory at the Etihad, it would certainly dwarf Robson's achievements.

The latest episode of BBC Radio Leeds' Don't Go To Bed Just Yet podcast has landed.

Adam Pope and Simon Rix look ahead to the daunting trip to Manchester City on Saturday as the pressure builds on manager Daniel Farke.

The pair discuss how to turn good performances into results and what to expect from Pep Guardiola's side.

Listen to the full episode here

Explore all Leeds United content on BBC Sounds

Chris Collinson
BBC Sport statistician

Leeds have been playing a like a mid-table side with their eyes closed. Pretty good football, but inefficient.

A lack of goals is a real issue for Daniel Farke's side. Only Wolves' tally of seven is fewer than Leeds' 11.

They are having shots, though. So far, they have registered 146 shots, which is more than 11 other Premier League clubs, including Aston Villa and Crystal Palace.

It is converting those shots to goals that is letting them down - Sunderland, for example, have taken 31 fewer shots than Leeds yet have scored three more goals this campaign.

And it is only bottom of the league Wolves (6.2%) that have a worse shot-conversion rate than Farke's side.

Defensively, only three teams have conceded more goals than Leeds this season.

Yet Leeds have given up fewer shots than 12 clubs in the league, including reigning champions Liverpool, Bournemouth, Newcastle and Brentford.

Both of Leeds' goalkeepers have been among the worst shot-stoppers in the league - Lucas Perri has let in 1.6 and Karl Darlow 1.8 more goals than they should given the quantity and quality of chances they have faced.

Only Wolves have a worse goal difference, but Leeds have a better xG difference than Tottenham, Aston Villa, Sunderland and Fulham.

So it comes down to where blame lies for Leeds being in the relegation zone. How much should be laid at Farke's door and how much at the performance of the players or the summer recruitment?

Former Nottingham Forest and Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou and ex-Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers are contenders to replace Daniel Farke at Leeds, who is under increasing pressure. (Talksport), external

Leeds have enquired about re-signing Kalvin Phillips, 29, on loan from Manchester City but a deal is unlikely to happen, leaving the midfielder to consider offers from France, Spain and Germany. (Mirror), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Friday's full gossip column

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