2026/2027 season

Premier League

Team page
Premier League · Team page
Leeds United
Head coach: Daniel Farke · 3-4-2-1 au coup d'envoi de la 2e journée (Trafford ; Rodon, Bijol, Muharemovic ; Bogle, Ampadu, Stach, Justin ; Okafor, Aaronson, Calvert-Lewin), puis passage à quatre derrière à la mi-temps et à un 3-5-2 après la 68e (Yorkshire Evening Post, 31/08/2026). Farke n'a donc pas de système figé sur ce début de saison.
Rank
8th
Pts
9
P
6
Form
🟡 Average

The essentials at a glance

The summary of this page: estimated level of play, form trend and qualitative verdict. For the details, head to the other tabs.

Editors' ratings
6/10
Attack
10/10
Defence
4/10
Form
6/10
Confidence / mood
Current risk:Medium

8th with 9 pts from 6 matches: 2 wins, 3 draws, 1 defeat.

8 goals scored, 5 conceded.

Leeds United and Manchester United face each other on Sunday afternoon in a loaded Premier League poster. The match starts at 15.00 hours, follow the match below in the live environment of FootballPrimer and talk along!

Voetbalprimeur · 18 Oct 2026 · machine-translated

⚽ Updates from the 2pm BST kick-off at Elland Road ⚽ The Joy of Six: Leeds v Manchester United matches ⚽ Scores | Tables | Read Football Daily | Mail Michael A reminder of what this fixture means to both teams: Leeds 3-4-2-1: Trafford; Justin, Elvedi, Muharemovic; Bogle, Ampadu, Tanaka, Gudmundsson; Stach, Okafor; Calvert-Lewin.

The Guardian — Football · 18 Oct 2026

Good afternoon and welcome to the live narrative of the Premier League football game that faces the Leeds United against Manchester United for Day 7. From the Sports World, we offer you all the coverage minute to minute, the previous, the alignations, the best games and goals of the encounter and the result with all the reactions to the post match.

Mundo Deportivo · 18 Oct 2026 · machine-translated

Manchester United began the weekend 13th in the Premier League table having only one once across their first six games

The Independent — Football · 18 Oct 2026

How the team has played recently

Match-by-match results, record and rhythm of the current season.

Latest matches
Lvs Arsenal FC (A) · 1-2
Dvs Crystal Palace FC (H) · 0-0
Wvs Newcastle United FC (H) · 4-1
Dvs Brighton & Hove Albion FC (A) · 1-1
Dvs Brentford FC (H) · 1-1
WWDDDL
8 scored / 5 conceded over 6 matches played
Rest: 8 days since the last match · 1 match played in the last 15 days
Home form
1W - 2D - 0L
Away form
1W - 1D - 1L
Statistics

Computed from this season's scores, every time the page is shown.

Goals scored per match
1.4
Goals conceded per match
1.0
At home
5 scored · 2 conceded in 3 matches
Away
2 scored · 3 conceded in 2 matches
Over 2.5 goals
2 of 5
Both teams score
4 of 5
Clean sheets
1 of 5
Failed to score
1 of 5
Cumulative points vs league average

Not enough matchdays recorded yet for this curve — history builds up with every standings refresh.

How Leeds United play

System, playing identity, and what sets the team apart at both ends of the pitch.

Playing identity
Preferred system
3-4-2-1 au coup d'envoi de la 2e journée (Trafford ; Rodon, Bijol, Muharemovic ; Bogle, Ampadu, Stach, Justin ; Okafor, Aaronson, Calvert-Lewin), puis passage à quatre derrière à la mi-temps et à un 3-5-2 après la 68e (Yorkshire Evening Post, 31/08/2026). Farke n'a donc pas de système figé sur ce début de saison.
Philosophy
Verified fact rather than interpretation: Farke embraces an ambitious yet pragmatic survival approach for a second consecutive season in the top flight — “It's still a long road. We need to collect 40 points, we are not naïve. The last time this club was able to have two solid seasons at [top-flight] level, you will perhaps find it in black and white photos” (Sky Sports, 22/08/2026) — with a tactical flexibility claimed by the players (“You've got to be versatile to change formations”, Daniel James, YEP 31/08/2026).
Attacking strengths
Attacking output still low but efficient: 2 goals in 2 Premier League matchdays (an Anton Stach free kick in the 88th minute at Nottingham Forest, a Dominic Calvert-Lewin equaliser in the 78th minute against Brentford), plus a 0-2 win at Forest in the League Cup on 25/08 (Daniel James goal). Farke himself has identified left winger and centre forward as two positions to strengthen before the transfer window closes (YEP, 27/08/2026).
Defensive solidity
The strongest department at present: just one goal conceded in 2 matchdays (Kevin Schade, 40th minute, for Brentford), with clean sheets at Forest in both the league and the Cup. James Trafford was rated 8/10 after Brentford by the Yorkshire Evening Post. Caveat: 47 points and 14th place in 2025-26 (worldfootball.net), and Farke admits “on the centre back position we don't have too many senior options”.
Pressing
Pre-season tactical analyses published by roundtable.io (a journalist's reading, not confirmed by the club): against Sunderland on 31/07/2026, Leeds defended in a compact block and remained composed against the opposition's pressing; against Liverpool on 03/08/2026, Daniel Farke raised the intensity in the second half, with Aaronson, Longstaff and Wilson pressing high to rush the opposition's decisions. These observations concern friendly matches and have not been cross-checked against an official 2026-27 Premier League fixture.
Transitions
Not measured. Factual observation from the Brentford match: Leeds were on the back foot in the first half (Trafford saves from Igor Thiago and Mikkel Damsgaard) and only turned the balance of power around after the changes of system and the introduction of Daniel James and Lukas Nmecha in the 68th minute, with Nmecha setting up Calvert-Lewin for the equaliser.
StrengthUnbeaten after two matchdays (4 points, 7th), defensive solidity and the form of James Trafford, a capacity for mental reaction praised by Farke (“mental resilience”, “never say die attitude”), in-game tactical versatility, and a summer recruitment drive targeting players with top-level experience (Trafford, Elvedi, Muharemovic, Harry Wilson, Zetterer).
WeaknessA lack of attacking cutting edge (2 goals in 2 matches) and uncovered positions identified by the head coach himself (left winger, centre forward, left back); limited depth in central defence, made worse by Joe Rodon's injury; openly acknowledged financial constraints (“we work with limited resources”, Farke, 27/08/2026).

The mood around the club, and who is missing

Internal climate, relationship with the supporters, and known absences before the next match.

Mood
Squad confidence
Good and reinforced by the context of the trip. Leeds remain unbeaten after two matchdays, with four points, and go to the Amex without a single away setback this season. Stuart Attwell's appointment is a favourable signal given the statistics published by the club: twelve wins and three draws for Leeds in 25 matches he has refereed. The blow is defensive, with Joe Rodon's hamstring injury, off as early as the 34th minute against Brentford and whose absence Daniel Farke hints could be prolonged. The response in the market was immediate, with full-back Melvin Bard arriving on deadline day.
Coach / players / board relationship
No public friction reported between Farke, the board and the dressing room. The ownership context has shifted: Paraag Marathe remains chairman of Leeds United, became vice-chairman of Rangers again in August 2026 and left his post as vice-president of football operations at the San Francisco 49ers “earlier this month” to focus on Leeds and Rangers (YEP, 27/08/2026).
Mood with the supporters
A supportive but tightly framed atmosphere. On 3 September the club published its 2026-27 rules for away travel, with zero tolerance for any form of discrimination, chants about tragedies included, and the announcement of long bans for offenders; also listed are the bans on flares, on standing on seats and on entering the pitch, as well as a text-message reporting line specific to the Brighton match. In terms of engagement, the 4,046 away places at Stamford Bridge for the League Cup are being sold through a loyalty-points and ballot system, a sign of demand exceeding supply. No protest movement is reported by the sources consulted.
Pressure on the head coach
Low at this stage. Farke kept the club in the top flight in 2025-26 (14th, 47 points) and has started unbeaten; his public messaging is about the 40-point target, not his own future.
Club objectives
A survival objective clearly stated by the head coach (“We need to collect 40 points”), with a declared intention to build a stable second season in the top flight, something the club has not managed for a very long time according to Farke.
Recent internal tensions
No internal tension reported at this stage. The only potential point of friction: Fiorentina's interest in Willy Gnonto late in the transfer window, which Farke publicly defused (“as long as he's here, he's fully in my plans”, 30/08/2026).
Absences
InjuredJoe Rodon — Hamstring injury sustained against Brentford, off in the 34th minute; no return date, with a possibly long absence according to Daniel Farke.
DoubtfulIlia Gruev — Knee, an injury dating back to April; back in full training but a major doubt for Brighton.
InjuredMateo Joseph — Knee, injured on loan at Mallorca in April; a return before 2027 is unlikely.

Before kick-off

What to know before the next match: statistical form, qualitative analysis, and a computed estimate of the 1/X/2 probabilities.

Next match

Leeds United — Manchester United

At homeSunday 18 October at 15:00Matchday 7
It's today. Kick-off time confirmed by the league. Paris time · football-data.org fixtures.

Prediction, odds and form of both teams →

What the press says
  • Praat mee op VP: Leeds United – Manchester UnitedLeeds United and Manchester United face each other on Sunday afternoon in a loaded Premier League poster. The match starts at 15.00 hours, follow the match below in the live environment of FootballPrimer and talk along!Voetbalprimeur · 18 Oct 2026 · machine-translated
  • Leeds United v Manchester United: Premier League – live⚽ Updates from the 2pm BST kick-off at Elland Road ⚽ The Joy of Six: Leeds v Manchester United matches ⚽ Scores | Tables | Read Football Daily | Mail Michael A reminder of what this fixture means to both teams: Leeds 3-4-2-1: Trafford; Justin, Elvedi, Muharemovic; Bogle, Ampadu, Tanaka, Gudmundsson; Stach, Okafor; Calvert-Lewin. Subs: Zetterer, Longstaff, Wilson, Aaronson, Nmecha, Bijol, Bahoya, Bard, Gruev. Continue reading...The Guardian — Football · 18 Oct 2026
  • Leeds United - Manchester United, en directo | Premier LeagueGood afternoon and welcome to the live narrative of the Premier League football game that faces the Leeds United against Manchester United for Day 7. From the Sports World, we offer you all the coverage minute to minute, the previous, the alignations, the best games and goals of the encounter and the result with all the reactions to the post match.Mundo Deportivo · 18 Oct 2026 · machine-translated
  • Leeds vs Man United LIVE: Pressure mounts on Michael Carrick ahead of crunch Premier League clashManchester United began the weekend 13th in the Premier League table having only one once across their first six gamesThe Independent — Football · 18 Oct 2026
Prediction
EstimateLeeds United — Manchester United
47 %
1 · Leeds United
26 %
X · draw
27 %
2 · Manchester United
In-house calculation, from this page's standings data alone: 6 matches played by Leeds United, 6 matches by Manchester United. Confidence: medium
The formula, in plain words — with this match's figures
  1. League average. 189 goals scored over 130 team-matches played (20 teams taken into account), i.e. μ = 1.45 goal scored per team per match. This is the reference point: everything that follows is expressed relative to it.
  2. Attacking and defensive strengths. Goals scored (or conceded) per match, divided by μ. 1.00 = exactly average; in defence, above 1.00 means “concedes more than average”.
    TeamGoalsRawKept
    Leeds United — attack8 in 6 matches0.920.96
    Leeds United — defence5 in 6 matches0.570.79
    Manchester United — attack9 in 6 matches1.031.02
    Manchester United — defence9 in 6 matches1.031.02
    The “Kept” column is the result of shrinkage towards the mean: weight = P / (P + 6), i.e. 0.50 for Leeds United and 0.50 for Manchester United. The rest of the weight goes to the league average. This is what stops a lone 5-0 from producing an attack at 3.3 times the average — and hence a 95% probability.
  3. Home advantage (γ). Measured on the league itself: 1.42 goal scored on average by the host against 1.42 by the visitor, over the 52 fixtures present in each team's last 5 matches. Raw ratio 1.00; shrunk towards 1 (weight 0.44, on the log of the ratio) then capped at 1.25 → γ = 1.00. Shrinkage goes towards 1, i.e. no advantage at all: while the sample is small, the model does not assert a home advantage it cannot measure.
  4. Venue correction, specific to each team. Drawn from the home/away split: points per match at the venue concerned are compared to points per match over all fixtures, with stronger shrinkage (weight = P / (P + 8)) and a bound of ±12%.
    Leeds United at home: 1.67 pts/match versus 1.50 overall over 3 matches → ×1.030
    Manchester United away: 0.67 pts/match versus 1.00 overall over 3 matches → ×0.909
  5. Expected goals. One side's attack is set against the other's defence. γ applies to the host only: applying it the other way round too would count the home advantage twice.
    λLeeds United = 1.45 × 0.96 × 1.02 × 1.00 × 1.030 = 1.46
    λManchester United = 1.45 × 1.02 × 0.79 × 0.909 = 1.06
  6. Poisson grid. Probability of every exact score from 0-0 to 8-8, assuming the two goal totals are independent, then adding up the cells: home win 46.4%, draw 26.2%, away win 27.3% — displayed rounded to whole numbers so that they add up to exactly 100. Most likely exact score in the grid: 1-1 (only 12.4%, which says enough about how unpredictable an exact score is).
Limits of this model — they are not anecdotal.
  • It only knows goals and a venue. Neither absences, suspensions, line-ups, fatigue, stakes, weather nor club context enter the calculation — while the other tabs of this page show that they matter.
  • The assumption that the two goal totals are independent is false in reality: it slightly underestimates tight scores, hence the draw.
  • γ is measured over a rolling window (each team's last 5 matches), not over the whole season.
  • The shrinkage constants (6, 60, 8) and the bounds are choices, not measurements. They were tuned to be cautious early in the season; they were not calibrated on a results history, as none is available here.
  • No after-the-fact evaluation has been made: at this stage, nobody knows whether this model is better or worse calibrated than another.
What other sources say
No external source has been collected for this match. That is the normal state: readings are taken by hand, and an empty box is better than an unverified figure.
This block shows probability estimates, not predictions, and carries no advisory value. The in-house estimate is the result of a formula applied to a small sample; the figures from external sources are reproduced as they were collected, without their method having been verified.

The full squad

The professional squad by position, captain marked with an armband.

Goalkeepers
  • James Trafford
  • Alex Cairns
  • Michael Zetterer
  • Darryl Ombang
  • Rory Mahady
Defenders
  • Jayden Bogle
  • Joe Rodon
  • Jaka Bijol
  • Tarik Muharemovic
  • Nico Elvedi
  • James Justin
  • Gabriel Gudmundsson
  • Sebastiaan Bornauw
  • Sam Byram
  • Jayden Lienou
  • Alfie Cresswell
Midfielders
  • Ethan AmpaduC
  • Anton Stach
  • Ilia Gruev
  • Ao Tanaka
  • Sean Longstaff
  • Brenden Aaronson
  • Harry Wilson
  • Charlie Crew
  • Sam Chambers
  • Rhys Chadwick
Forwards
  • Dominic Calvert-Lewin
  • Lukas Nmecha
  • Noah Okafor
  • Willy Gnonto
  • Daniel James
  • Largie Ramazani
  • Joe Gelhardt
  • Harry Gray
  • Mateo Joseph
Squad last verified on 31 Aug 2026 — source: List cross-checked between Leeds United's official report of 30/08/2026 (starting eleven and bench against Brentford, Ampadu identified as captain by the (C) marker), worldfootball.net's 2026/27 squad page and 11v11.com's 2026-27 list. Lucas Perri (loaned to Torino on 29/08) and Joël Piroe (loaned to West Ham) are excluded. The list is possibly incomplete and liable to change: the transfer window closes on 01/09/2026; Ethan Ampadu's positional classification (centre back or midfielder) varies between sources..

What has been said recently

Chronological feed of verified information about the club.

rss18 Oct 2026
Talk to me on VP: United Kingdom
Source: Voetbalprimeur
rss18 Oct 2026
Leeds United v Manchester United: Premier League – live
Source: The Guardian — Football
rss18 Oct 2026
Leeds United - Manchester United, live - 124; Premier League
Source: Mundo Deportivo
rss18 Oct 2026
Man Utd boss' fate was sealed in 'blow up' meeting before Leeds match
Source: Mirror Football
rss18 Oct 2026
Leeds vs Man United LIVE: Pressure mounts on Michael Carrick ahead of crunch Premier League clash
Source: The Independent — Football
rss10 Oct 2026
Arsenal beats Leeds and joins City in the lead
Source: Notícias ao Minuto — Desporto
Club3 Sep 2026
Leeds travel to Brighton on Saturday 5 September at 15:00, still unbeaten and with a perfect away record this season.
Source: Football Web Pages
Head coach3 Sep 2026
Daniel Farke held his pre-match press conference on Thursday afternoon, expected to address the severity of Joe Rodon's injury, Gabriel Gudmundsson's return and Ilia Gruev's condition, the immediate eligibility of signings Melvin Bard and Jean-Matteo Bahoya, the departures of Willy Gnonto and Largie Ramazani, and Fabian Hürzeler's Brighton.
Source: Yorkshire Evening Post
Supporters3 Sep 2026
The club has published its 2026-27 rules for travelling supporters, with zero tolerance for any form of discrimination, including chants about tragedies, and long bans as the consequence. Also restated are the bans on flares and pyrotechnics, on standing on seats or blocking gangways, and on entering the pitch. A text-message reporting line is given for the trip to Brighton.
Source: Leeds United (site officiel)
Club3 Sep 2026
The U21s travel to Charlton Athletic at Princes Park, in group I of the Premier League Cup. They go there after a 0-0 against Stoke City in their opening match of the competition, a 4-3 win over West Bromwich Albion in Premier League 2 with a hat-trick from Carrick Njinko, and then a 2-1 defeat at Liverpool.
Source: Leeds United (site officiel)
Injury3 Sep 2026
Defender Joe Rodon, out for the first two matchdays with a thigh injury, has no return date, and forward Mateo Joseph, with an ankle problem, is not expected before the end of January 2027.
Source: SportsGambler
Other2 Sep 2026
The club has published the refereeing appointment for the trip to Brighton: Stuart Attwell, 43, with 244 Premier League matches and referee of the 2025 FA Cup final, will take charge. His record with Leeds is very favourable (twelve wins and three draws in 25 matches refereed). He will be assisted by Constantine Hatzidakis and Nick Hopton, with John Busby as fourth official, James Bell on VAR and Edward Smart as assistant VAR.
Source: Leeds United (site officiel)
Injury2 Sep 2026
Joe Rodon, off in the 34th minute against Brentford, has a hamstring injury and Daniel Farke hinted that the absence could be prolonged. Ilia Gruev, back in full training after a knee injury sustained in April, remains a major doubt for Brighton, and Mateo Joseph, who injured his knee on loan at Mallorca in April, is not expected before 2027. No player is suspended.
Source: Sports Mole
Transfers2 Sep 2026
Melvin Bard, 25, has arrived on a paid loan from OGC Nice (€1m) with a purchase option set at €5m. The left-back, who can also play on the left of a back three, brings direct competition for Gabriel Gudmundsson. His first words: “Leeds is a historic Premier League club, the decision was easy,” and “I like a fight, I never give up.”
Source: Yorkshire Evening Post
Institutional2 Sep 2026
Sky Sports mark Leeds's window 8 out of 10. Their correspondent Zinny Boswell believes the club “improved three key positions” with the arrivals of Harry Wilson, Tarik Muharemović and James Trafford, and considerably widened its squad depth.
Source: Sky Sports
European competition2 Sep 2026
The club has set out details for the League Cup third-round trip to Chelsea, on Wednesday 9 September at 20:00: 4,046 places allocated, £35 for an adult ticket, £27 for seniors and under-23s, £17 for under-20s, with fully digital ticketing and safe standing in the away end.
Source: Leeds United (site officiel)
News last verified on 18 Oct 2026. Sources: sports press (L'Équipe, Le Parisien, Foot Mercato, regional press…) and official club websites — see the link on each item.
Editorial content (playing style, mood, absences, external prediction sources) last verified on 3 Sep 2026. The standings/form data above are refreshed automatically — as is the 1/X/2 estimate, recomputed on every view.