With a -4 goal difference, Leeds United look shaky as conceding five against Arsenal might’ve put off some alarm bells at Elland Road.
However, Daniel Farke is building a structured defence, with statistics telling a different story despite anomalies arising from time to time.
Defensive architecture & metrics
Leeds United xGA and shot quality
As we previously pointed out, Leeds United have conceded 11 goals despite their xGA standing at 7.9. Opponents have made better use of qualitatively inferior chances. However, the Whites are not falling behind as a similar trajectory follows their own trend.
FotMob points out that Farke’s men have conceded fewer big chances than many top teams. This means there haven’t been many open goal opportunities as the defence seems to be doing well.
Pressing, turnovers, defensive attacks
Pascal Struijk has been a key figure in the Leeds defence (Credits: Imago Images)
An aspect least discussed about Leeds United is their ability to convert defence into offence. Farke’s men are seemingly doing a great job as they rank at the top of the league when it comes to shot-ending high turnovers. This directly signals that the high press is not just working, but it also results in the highest turnover in the English top flight.
FourFourTwo points out that approximately 30% of the Whites’ high press leads to a shot. Chances are being created, but the execution falls short sometimes, as Farke likes to exploit during transition.
Contributions at the player level
Players like Pascal Struijk have made 47 clearances in 7 matches, which is unusually high. Jayden Bogle is making considerable defensive contributions despite being highly active during attacks.
The Englishman made 0.87 interceptions per 90 and 0.85 blocks per 90. The defence is in good shape overall, and the statistics should smooth out as the season goes by, resulting in a mid-table finish if the attack keeps up.
The occasional variance is highly unusual, and the improvements should continue if the team consistently performs like they did against Tottenham Hotspur.
What needs to be tightened?
Pressing high, Leeds obviously leaves gaps behind, which are being exploited consistently. Despite the tactic providing decent returns with 30% of successful high press plays leading to a shot, it sometimes leaves the players in nowhere’s land.
As seen in the same Spurs game, Mathys Tel’s run led to the first goal. The French winger exploited the high line, making a run when the visitors won the ball in the centre.
The defence has proven to be a detrimental backbone during transitions, but Farke can definitely manage the failings in a better way to survive the Premier League.
