Leeds United’s unbeaten start has given supporters plenty to be excited about, but the real test of their progress could come once the international break is over.
Daniel Farke’s side have collected nine points from their opening five Premier League games without suffering a defeat, giving them an encouraging platform to build on. That start has naturally led to talk of Leeds competing for a place in the European picture, or at the very least establishing themselves as a top-half team.
The fixtures coming up in October will offer a much clearer indication of where they actually stand.
Leeds will travel to the Emirates to face reigning champions Arsenal before taking on Manchester United and Sunderland. It is a demanding sequence that will test Farke’s side in every department and provide a far better measure of whether their impressive opening to the campaign can be sustained.
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Arsenal suffer major injury blow ahead of Leeds clash
The Gunners looked imperious this season, with everyone predicting they’d win the title on a canter again, until they met Brighton last weekend.
They hammered the reigning champions 3-0 at home and exposed some of the chinks in the armour of a team that looked unbeatable until then.
Arsenal will look to respond when Leeds visit the Emirates Stadium on 10th October, but they could be without one of Mikel Arteta’s most important players.
Kai Havertz has hobbled off the pitch in Germany’s Nations League clash against the Netherlands on Thursday night.
He appeared to have suffered a serious injury, but there is no clarification on whether he will be fit to play for Arsenal just after the break.
The German forward now has a decent chance of not being fit enough to play when Leeds visit the Emirates Stadium on 10th October.
Sunderland striker Brian Brobbey also suffered a hamstring injury in this game and is now likely to miss the Leeds game next month.
A concern for Germany and Arsenal — Kai Havertz was withdrawn in the first half of his country’s Nations League clash against the Netherlands after appearing to suffer an injury. pic.twitter.com/3usStmVFcc
— The Athletic | Football (@TheAthleticFC) September 24, 2026
Leeds will have their eyes on Dominic Calvert-Lewin
The Whites have been careful to manage Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s workload and training to keep him fit since he joined last year.
His injury history meant that Leeds have handled him with care, and their medical team deserve credit for keeping the forward fit. However, the club has no control when he is on England duty.
Daniel Farke would hate to lose the 29-year-old to an injury while he is playing for England, as he does not have another striker of his quality in their squad.
