Leeds United have received a huge boost after their performances over the last week. The club now have more confidence in their race for Premier League survival.
It was only weeks ago that the Whites were on a long losing streak having won just one game since October. But in the last couple of days, things have completely changed at Elland Road.
And a lot of that has to do with Daniel Farke. The Leeds boss made a tactical shift in the second half of the defeat to Manchester City. Switching to a back three and throwing two strikers up top nearly got a result against Pep Guardiola, but it wasn’t to be.
Leeds did however beat Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea side 3-1, with the new 3-5-2 system working perfectly. On the night, the blues could not handle the directness from Farke’s side. Liverpool also visited Elland Road days later; and unlike Chelsea, they looked like picking up a victory.
But Farke switched up things tactically in the second half to mount a comeback from 2-0 down, and the game eventually ended in a 3-3 draw.
Leeds United target Raheem Sterling free to leave Chelsea
With the January transfer window coming up, Leeds might be active in the market. In recent weeks they have been linked with many targets, mostly attacking players.
There is no guarantee that the Whites will splash the cash but looking at things, Farke’s side will definitely push for more signings next month.
| Season | Club | Appearances | Goals | Assists | Minutes Played |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | Arsenal | 17 | 0 | 2 | 509 |
| 2023-24 | Chelsea | 31 | 8 | 4 | 1,981 |
| 2022-23 | Chelsea | 28 | 6 | 3 | 1,910 |
One player who could be on the move to Leeds United is Raheem Sterling. The Chelsea winger has been frozen out from the first team this season. Enzo Maresca revealed this week that the England star is free to leave when the window opens:
“In terms of Raheem, once again it’s the same thing I said about Axel [Disasi], they are Chelsea players. Now also we are in December, January is coming, so anything can happen with him,” Maresca declared.
England star could be a perfect fit in the new system
This Raheem Sterling is not the player he once was. But the new system at Leeds could accommodate him. Usually a winger, he could fit in as one of the two forwards in the system.
He has played in a similar role with England, in Euro 2020 where he was one of the best players for the team. Even though he is older now, his dribbling and movement in central areas could be a huge benefit for this Leeds attack.
