Leeds United have made a strong start to the Premier League season, picking up nine points from their first five games and remaining unbeaten in the league.
Daniel Farke’s team will face a stiff test on Saturday when they travel to the capital to take on Premier League champions Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.
However, even if they lose this weekend, it would take nothing away from the start they have made this season and the heightened expectations around Elland Road at this stage of the campaign.
No one is talking about relegation when discussing Leeds at this stage of the season. However, some pundits tipped the Whites to go down before the campaign started, and now they’re being forced to eat humble pie.
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Darren Bent forced to eat humble pie live on talkSPORT
Former Tottenham striker Darren Bent predicted Leeds to get relegated before the season started, and Andy Goldstein was quick to remind him of it on talkSPORT Drive.
The ex-England international insisted he changed his prediction minutes after making it, but conceded he didn’t rate Leeds and Farke before the season started.
He stressed that he didn’t believe Farke was good enough to keep Leeds in the Premier League for a second season running, but admitted that the Whites are definitely not getting relegated this season.
“I amended that [prediction] after about 15 minutes”, Bent said.
“Leeds aren’t going down.
“I had my reservations about Daniel Farke in the Premier League. I wasn’t sure he was good enough.”
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Can Leeds qualify for Europe?
Leeds can dream about Europe this season, but it is still far too early to make it an expectation.
After five games, Daniel Farke’s side are fifth with nine points and, more importantly, unbeaten. They have conceded only three goals and already shown they can compete with teams around them.
There is genuine reason for optimism. Sky Sports pundit Don Goodman believes Leeds have a chance of qualifying for Europe, while Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink has praised the club’s recruitment and said the squad looks stronger than last season.
But five games tell us very little about where Leeds will finish in May. The squad still need to prove it can maintain this level for 38 matches, particularly in the final third.
For now, Europe should be a dream, not a target. If Leeds are still in the conversation with 10 games left, it’s time to take it seriously.
