'If you're an opposition manager, you let Aaronson have the ball'published at 11:11 BST 21 October 2025
11:11 BST 21 October 2025
Image source, Getty Images
Simon Rix believes Leeds United are struggling to score because there is no "threat" from Jack Harrison and Brenden Aaronson in the front line.
The Kaiser Chiefs bassist told BBC Radio Leeds' Don't Go To Bed Just Yet podcast that the pair aren't good enough to fill in for the current injured starters, after the Whites lost 2-0 to Burnley on Saturday.
"It's one of those things where if everyone's fit, those two don't play, but that's the same as any team," Rix said.
"Not the likes of Arsenal because I think they've got amazing reserves but anyone down the bottom, if two or three of their wingers are injured, they're not going to have good wingers to play. And that's where we're at.
"That's me assuming that if Dan James, [Wilfried] Gnonto and [Noah] Okafor are all fit, he's not going to play Aaronson, which he might because he has been doing but let's assume he wouldn't do that.
"If you're an opposition manager and you watch Leeds, you know you can kind of let him have the ball because he's not going to do anything. He does all this other stuff but when we're playing Burnley - either we go and grind out a 0-0 and be really defensive or, if we were playing to win which I think we were, you can't play those two. There's not a massive threat."
🎧 Turf Moor trip gone wrongpublished at 16:10 BST 20 October 2025
16:10 BST 20 October 2025
The latest episode of BBC Radio Leeds Don't Go To Bed Just Yet podcast has landed.
Jonny Buchan, Adam Pope and Simon Rix mull over a difficult Saturday at Turf Moor.
Leeds United missed the opportunity to go seven points clear of fellow newly promoted side Burnley, so where did it all go wrong for Daniel Farke's side?
The trio pick the bones out of what they describe as a "humbling defeat".
Gazo: What a win. Sometimes you have to win ugly but once again defensively we showed our resilience. Another flawless display by Martin Dubravka. Superb goals to win the game too.
Shaun: What a performance from Kyle Walker. His reading of the game is immense and the interception and run forward before our second goal was superb.
Winnie: A mixture that showed training had made vast improvements, accompanied by good luck (e.g. Leeds hitting the woodwork) and sheer total brilliance in the two goals. Dubravka and Walker displayed their class. All in all, each player had a good day on the same day -as we know this is not always the case. Now we know Burnley can do it and Scott Parker can help with the team's consistency. That's the key.
Leeds fans
Stephen: Probably the worst performance so far this season. We didn't close down as fast as the opposition, we weren't as clean with our passing and we didn't get back and defend like they did.
Mark: This is NOT good enough. Dominating possession counts for absolutely nothing when the opposition are comfortable, and Burnley were very comfortable. If Farke can't find a way to make that squad more incisive and braver in the final third, then Leeds need to find a manager that can. Quickly.
Ron: In the transfer window, Leeds got two strikers on frees - never was the saying "you get what you pay for" more appropriate. In defence and midfield, they went for players with height and "physical presence", but so far there has been no sign of aerial dominance either at the front or the back. The future looks ominous!
Gossip: Sheff Utd unlikely to sell Leeds target Hamerpublished at 07:06 BST 20 October 2025
07:06 BST 20 October 2025
Championship strugglers Sheffield United will not entertain offers for 28-year-old midfielder Gustavo Hamer, who is a Leeds United target, in the January transfer window. (Football Insider), external
Analysis: Toothless Leeds fail to firepublished at 17:41 BST 18 October 2025
17:41 BST 18 October 2025
Matthew Howarth BBC Sport journalist
Image source, Getty Images
This Leeds performance was a far cry from their display in the 3-1 victory at Wolves in their previous away game.
Despite enjoying 68% of possession at Turf Moor, the visitors' best opportunity was Brenden Aaronson's first-half effort against the post, which came after Jaidon Anthony had gifted them possession deep inside the Burnley half.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin started for the fourth game in succession but failed to manage an effort on target and remains stuck on only one goal since his summer move from Everton.
The striker's only shot of the first half - a wayward bicycle kick - was emblematic of Leeds' struggles as they ended the game with only four shots on target from 19 attempts overall.
The visitors pushed and probed in the second half but rarely looked like breaching Burnley's organised backline, with Jack Harrison twice firing well wide from outside the area.
While Leeds' tally of eight points from as many games is far from disastrous, Saturday's result increases the pressure on manager Daniel Farke and his players before another important game next weekend against struggling West Ham at Elland Road.
Burnley 2-0 Leeds: What Farke saidpublished at 17:34 BST 18 October 2025
17:34 BST 18 October 2025
Media caption,
Daniel Farke spoke to BBC Match of the Day after Leeds' defeat against Burnley: "You can't have better statistics than we did today in an away game in the Premier League. When Liverpool, Arsenal, Man City travel here even they won't have better statistics. We won each and every statistic but in football it is also just about goals. They were more effective than us today.
"In the first half they had one chance and we were a bit sleepy on the cross and they scored, then in the second half they had a shot from about 25 yards. When we had big chances we were more or less surprised. Performance wise I can't complain but this is how football works.
"First game after the international break with so many offensive players out to be so dominant, I didn't expect this but the players have delivered it. Of course we wanted to score but it was one of those days where it was not to be and we could not get the ball over the line. Credit to them for finding the goals.
"We want to pick up points everywhere and for that we need good performances. We showed today in many, many aspects but effectiveness is what's crucial. This is what we need to add to our game."
Did you know?
Leeds United put 47 crosses into Burnley's box today, the most by a team in a Premier League match this season and most by Leeds in a league game since June 2020 away at Cardiff (47), which was also a 2-0 defeat.
Burnley v Leeds: Team news published at 14:09 BST 18 October 2025
14:09 BST 18 October 2025
Scott Parker makes three changes to the Burnley side that lost at Aston Villa before the international break.
Zian Flemming, Lesley Ugochukwu and Jacob Bruun Larsen come in, while Jaiden Anthony is fit to start after suffering a knock at Villa Park a fortnight ago.
Loum Tchaouna and Josh Laurent are among the substitutes, but Lyle Foster misses out after suffering a dead leg on international duty with South Africa.
You can also listen to today's 5 Live Premier League commentaries on most smart speakers. Just say "ask BBC Sounds to play Fulham v Arsenal", for instance.
Sutton's predictions: Burnley v Leedspublished at 11:06 BST 18 October 2025
11:06 BST 18 October 2025
Burnley have been a bit unlucky to lose four out of four on the road so far, but they really need to get something at home, especially against another promoted team.
The Clarets beat Sunderland at Turf Moor at the start of the season, which is their only league win to date.
Scott Parker's side have been competitive in most of their other games too but so have Leeds, who have scored the same amount of goals as Burnley - seven - but feel like they carry a bit more of a threat.
This is going to be very tight. I don't like going for too many draws, but this fixture finished 0-0 in the Championship last season and I am going for the same outcome this time.
Burnley v Leeds United: Key stats and talking pointspublished at 19:42 BST 17 October 2025
19:42 BST 17 October 2025
Burnley and Leeds battled it out for the Championship title last season - now they face each other at Turf Moor in a Premier League clash which could have implications come the end of the season.
BBC Sport takes a look at some of the key themes ahead of their meeting.
This may only be Burnley and Leeds' eighth league game of the season, but this game between two promoted sides already has the whiff of a crucial six-pointer.
Leeds have made a better start to life back in the Premier League than Burnley so far, and will have spent the international break smarting from coming away with nothing from their last match against Tottenham.
Their narrow 2-1 defeat will have hurt given how well they competed against the Europa League winners. However, Spurs' extra bit of quality, shown by the likes of Mohammed Kudus and Xavi Simons, proved to be the difference between the sides.
Where the goals are going to come from remains a hot topic for Leeds fans and a tally of just seven from seven top-flight games tells its own story. Winger Noah Okafor is their only player to score more than once this season, and while Dominic Calvert-Lewin has led the line well as the focal point of their attack, familiar questions remain about his ability to take chances.
Maximum points from this fixture and next week's home match with West Ham will be seen as a must by boss Daniel Farke, who has named the same starting XI in each of their last four matches.
For Burnley, one win from seven games represents a worrying start.
Only West Ham have conceded more top-flight goals than the Clarets' 15, which is remarkably only one less than Scott Parker's side let in across their 46 games in the Championship last season. They could become only the second side in Football League history after Liverpool in the 1894-95 campaign to concede their previous season's tally within their first eight games.
Two things Parker would like to see his side have more of is a) the ball and b) a lead. Their average possession stands at just 35.3%, while they have held a lead for an average of just eight per cent of their seven matches so far this season.
They have been in contention in many of those games but Parker has bemoaned his side's lack of focus at crucial junctures:
"There is a theme at the moment," he said after the loss to Villa. "We were hugely competitive, but switched off in certain moments."
Their one win this season came against another promoted club in Sunderland, something they will be desperate to repeat against Leeds as they look to get their season up and running
One statistic that neither Farke or Parker will look upon fondly is that they occupy the bottom two spots for the lowest Premier League points-per-game average of any manager to have taken charge of 50 or more matches.
🎧 The Turf Moor previewpublished at 13:03 BST 17 October 2025
13:03 BST 17 October 2025
The latest episode of the Don't Go To Bed Just Yet podcast has landed.
BBC Radio Leeds' Jonny Buchan and Adam Pope are joined by Kaiser Chiefs' bassist Simon Rix to look ahead to a big game at Turf Moor.
They are pondering how to describe the fixture - huge, massive or simply a 'must not lose'?
Well, victory for Daniel Farke's side will see them open up a seven-point gap over fellow promoted side Burnley after just eight Premier League fixtures.
Can Longstaff become a leader for Farke?published at 12:31 BST 17 October 2025
12:31 BST 17 October 2025
Image source, Getty Images
When Sean Longstaff came on as a substitute for Leeds against Arsenal in August, he was "immediately trying to get people to do things", and "was already trying to become a leader", according to BBC Radio Leeds' Adam Pope.
The 27 year-old has started every game for Daniel Farke's side since that Arsenal match and has spoken about the prospect of becoming a leader in the Elland Road dressing room.
"It is something that Eddie Howe had spoken to me about a bit at Newcastle about trying to become a leader." Longstaff told BBC Radio Leeds.
"I didn't come here and try to become a leader, I was just being me really. Ethan [Ampadu] is the captain and he does a fantastic job of leading us, getting us ready to play or speaking to us.
"For me, it was about coming in, watching how the dressing room works and seeing the dynamics. If I can add to it and help Ethan in any way, shape or form then I will try and do that.
"Ultimately, the game is easier when you speak to each other and help each other through the game - if that is what people think leadership is, then you can class it as that. I didn't want to step on anyone's toes, I just want to add to the group and make some of the lads realise how good they are."
Gossip: Leeds retain Raskin interestpublished at 08:41 BST 17 October 2025
08:41 BST 17 October 2025
Rangers could struggle to keep hold of 24-year-old Nicolas Raskin, with Leeds United previously expressing an interest in the Belgium midfielder and Tottenham putting him on their radar. (Football Insider), external
Leeds United are likely to block a request from Celtic to sign Illan Meslier on a free transfer in the January transfer window, but a deal could be done for the goalkeeper, who will be out of contract at the end of the season. (TeamTalk), external
Farke on Gnonto surgery, James' return, and Gray's futurepublished at 14:28 BST 16 October 2025
14:28 BST 16 October 2025
Leeds United boss Daniel Farke has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Burnley at Turf Moor (15:00 BST).
Here are the key lines from his news conference:
Farke confirmed Willy Gnonto will not be available for Saturday's game - his calf problems "are sorted" but he has needed "minor hernia surgery" over the international break and will return to training next week and will "perhaps" be available for next Friday's visit of West Ham.
There is "good news" for goalkeeper Lucas Perri who has trained over the last two weeks while Dan James' return is looking "very positive" with the winger "ahead of schedule" but not in contention to start at Turf Moor.
Noah Okafor is "struggling a little bit" with abductor problems but could be in contention for to make the travelling squad and for "some minutes".
Karl Darlow will remain in goal: "I am happy with what Karl has done so far so for that nothing has changed because of international duty. Perri is not a topic for the starting line-up straight away because his last game is seven or eight weeks ago. He is not 100%, he is new in this country. It's good that he's back but not with any of the crucial players. Karl has done so so well. It was never in doubt he would start the game."
Asked about the future of youngster Harry Gray, who is yet to sign a new long-term deal, Farke said: "Normally we just speak about business when business is done. That is one of my principles and I stick with it. Harry is out of team training at the minute. I expect him to be back in training next week. Behind the scenes we are trying to build our squad for the future, do some business and positive negotiations. I expect it's not too far away that we will have some positive news with some players in our squad."
On returning from the international break: "Today was more or less the first time we had all the team together. Several players were able to return to the training pitch. Some just need some individual and recovery sessions. There is a good mood in the squad."
Farke played down suggestions Saturday's game is a "must-win", stating: "Just for both teams an opportunity to win some points. Definitely not a must-win game. It's an away game for a newly promoted side so you are always the underdog. Burnley had a fantastic season last season, they were our two most difficult games. Why should this be must-win for us?"
What expected goals tell us about the start to the Premier League seasonpublished at 09:04 BST 16 October 2025
09:04 BST 16 October 2025
Chris Collinson BBC Sport statistician
Image source, Getty Images
The Premier League table is starting to take shape and while results are obviously what matter most, they don't tell the whole story in terms of how teams have been playing so far.
Expected goals (xG) tells us how much teams have been dominating games by creating lots of good chances up front and restricting opponents to few, bad ones at the back.
Penalties are excluded because they distort a team's numbers on how threatening or vulnerable they are in general, especially at this early stage.
Below is a graphic showing how good teams have been in attack and defence, with the most dominant teams in the top-right corner and the least impressive in the bottom-left corner.
Arsenal and Manchester City have been the most dominant sides, with the Gunners having the best defence and fourth-best attack and City the joint-best attack and fourth-best defence.
High-flying Crystal Palace are the only side to rival City's attacking threat, while Newcastle are living up to their name by being almost as impregnable at the back as Arsenal.
Both Manchester United and Chelsea have one of the top five attacks in the league but worryingly also rank in the bottom five defensively.
Liverpool's back-to-back defeats following five straight wins gives a more accurate picture of how they have been playing, while Tottenham have needed to be very efficient to make up for their lack of dominance in games.
Aston Villa's early-season struggles are no longer to do with finishing - they have now scored six non-penalty goals from an xG of 6.0 - but simply because they have not been playing well.
While promoted sides Leeds and Sunderland have adapted quite well to the top-flight, Burnley have struggled to make the jump so far with both the worst attack and the worst defence.
'Some of the best football I've played in a long time' published at 18:58 BST 15 October 2025
18:58 BST 15 October 2025
Image source, Getty Images
Leeds United midfielder Sean Longstaff has looked back on his decision to leave Newcastle United for Elland Road in the summer as a positive one that has given him a fresh sense of freedom and enjoyment on the pitch.
The midfielder spent more than decade with his boyhood club, and admitted the decision to leave St James' Park was not an easy one.
But since making the switch, the 27-year-old says he is thriving under Daniel Farke and relishing a new challenge in the Premier League.
"It's been really enjoyable. I've made a really good decision and really enjoyed pretty much every second I have been here, so hopefully that continues for a long time," Longstaff told BBC Radio Leeds.
"It was going to take a lot for me to leave Newcastle. I want to play as much football as possible. I looked at the options and managers and the groups of players and really liked the look of Leeds.
"When it came down to it, it was between Leeds and staying. I think it's been a positive start.
"Coming here probably freed me up a little bit and allowed me to play without the pressure of the city and knowing, after a result, that if we won, great, but if we lost, people are going to come for you.
"A fresh start and fresh mindset has been really good for me and probably allowed me to play some of the best football I've played in a long time."
Survival, stability and moving up - Leeds' strategy for successpublished at 09:59 BST 15 October 2025
09:59 BST 15 October 2025
Simon Stone Chief football news reporter
Image source, Leeds United FC
Last week, Leeds United sporting director Adam Underwood sat alongside Brentford counterpart Lee Dykes at Old Trafford explaining to a captivated audience what his job entailed and what the targets are.
The two-day Training Ground Guru conference is an established part of the football calendar.
In theory, Underwood should be the senior man as on key metrics, history, fanbase, stadium size, Leeds dwarf Brentford.
The reality is very different.
Underwood knows through their extensive use of data and smart recruitment that Brentford have become an established member of England's elite.
The Bees are now into their fifth consecutive Premier League campaign. Leeds are in their fourth in 21 years. Their aim this season is to halt the current sequence of relegations for the past six teams coming up out of the Championship.
"There are a number of clubs like Brentford - Brighton are in that bracket too – who have an excellent base from which they run their football operation," Underwood told BBC Sport.
"Everyone is aware how they use data to get a competitive advantage and recruit really well. The evidence of that from those clubs is everywhere.
"I am sure it has helped to sustain them in the Premier League and helped them grow and continue to be successful.
"We know that as a Championship club promoted to the Premier League the task is huge to buck the trend of the six clubs over the past two years who have come up and gone straight back down.
"We look at clubs across the Premier League and ask: 'What did they do well?', 'How did they manage to achieve what they have achieved in staying up?'."
Manager Daniel Farke will be judged on how successful – or otherwise – he is in keeping Leeds in the top flight.
Underwood's role is to support that. But his brief goes wider.
Arriving at Leeds as academy manager in 2014, Underwood was promoted to head of football operations in July 2023 and took up his present role in April.
He knows his day-to-day work must never lose sight of the overall vision of the 49ers Enterprises Global Football Group that own Leeds.
"Having competitive success is always going to be the immediate focus, for the sporting director, manager and the ownership group," he said.
"But around that, as a foundation for sporting success, there has to be a long-term view for how you develop the club, build the infrastructure and create the conditions for that success to happen and increase the chances of it happening over a period of time.
"We want to be an established Premier League club and believe we can push back to the top half of the table and realise our potential.
"The sporting director's responsibility is to feed both of those work streams and both of those projects.
"Every weekend, you are at games hoping all the work you are doing in recruitment to support the manager and the staff, pays off and you get a result.
"But ultimately, you know as long as you are on track over the long term from a performance perspective, you are making steps towards your vision and realising the ambition of the ownership."
'Encouraging start - but Leeds must turn late drama into discipline'published at 12:30 BST 14 October 2025
12:30 BST 14 October 2025
Molly Whitmore Fan writer
Image source, Getty Images
It has been an encouraging start for Leeds United - flashes of attacking flair, real promise in the middle and some defensive grit.
But as we head into the next stretch, one thing stands out as the area for improvement: turning heartbreaking late draws (or worse, defeats) into solid points.
I have just spent the past week on holiday in Egypt - and even 2,500 miles away, the Leeds chatter does not stop! Over breakfast one morning, I got talking to another Leeds fan we had met at the hotel and what struck me was how widespread the optimism is this season.
The general feeling, whether you're in Leeds or lounging by the Red Sea, is that we will stay up. There is real belief, built not on blind hope, but on performances that have shown progress.
Still, there is nothing worse than 90 minutes of good football unravelling in the dying seconds. It has been a familiar theme - we start strong, look organised, and then just lose our edge right at the death.
The first half against Spurs was a perfect example of how we can defend. Tight lines, solid shape and calmness that made us a side ready to compete with anyone.
But this season, after about 70 minutes, that focus sometimes fades and it has cost us.
If we can keep our early defensive discipline through to the final whistle, we will convert narrow losses into valuable draws, and draws into much-needed wins.
It is about mentality as much as tactics, staying concentrated when tired legs and nerves kick in.
And speaking of Spurs, wasn't that a performance to enjoy? It is not every week you get to say Leeds went toe totoe with one of the "big six" (still feels funny calling them that, doesn't it?).
The energy, the pressing, and the togetherness were all there. For large spells, it looked like we belonged on that stage and that's the belief we need to carry into every fixture, not just the high-profile ones.
'We have set a marker that we will be tough to beat this year'published at 09:48 BST 14 October 2025
09:48 BST 14 October 2025
On the latest episode of BBC Radio Leeds' Don't Go To Bed Just Yet podcast, the team discuss United's chances of Premier League survival.
Simon Rix says Daniel Farke's men won't be "relegated by March" like last season's promoted sides, adding that Elland Road is not seen as an easy place to visit and even the Premier League's top sides will take the Whites seriously.
Image source, Getty Images
