Leeds United must win their next Premier League game at Nottingham Forest or the Whites will be pushed further into relegation trouble.
Indeed, Daniel Farke’s side are currently in a precarious position above the drop zone after Saturday’s disastrous 3-0 defeat at Brighton & Hove Albion, and a win for Sean Dyche’s side against the West Yorkshire side would reduce the five-point gap to Forest to just two points.
Adding to the worries, Dyche has won six games as a manager against Los Blancos, but Leeds are winless and goalless on the road since their 3-1 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Falke will need to react immediately from this disastrous defeat at the South Coast as some of his summer signings could be dropped despite a positive start for many from the defeat at the Amex.
Why Leeds’ summer business must be called into question
At the end of the 3-0 loss to Fabian Hürzeler’s Seagulls, not a single player could have walked away satisfied with their effort.
Even their marquee player, Noah Okafor, is not immune to criticism.
The tricky number 19 did his best to take control of the tough home team with five successful dribbles. But former Leeds player John Newsome harshly called the ex-AC Milan winger a “passenger” for giving up the ball so easily, even against Hürzeler’s hosts, who conceded the ball a costly 19 times.
Furthermore, Dominic Calvert-Lewin has only scored one goal since leaving Everton in the summer, and another goalless run could see him fall from the top flight. Even if he arrives on a free transfer, he is arguably the most questionable signing of the summer.
Central defender Xhaka Bihor could also be sidelined after two first-team appearances, with Pascal Strujk perhaps the most logical replacement as the £15m summer signing made just one tackle and won just one duel as Brighton ran a battered and hopeless away team all afternoon.
Despite the intense nature of the host team, it was very easy for Diego Gomez to start the scoring streak when, thanks to Bihor and the rest of the backline, he was left with space to score his first shot of the day at 2-0.
Farke could therefore really make a difference for a decisive draw at Forest, with one summer signing also at risk of being left out of the German’s starting XI.
A bold choice made by Falke
It hasn’t been all gloomy for West Yorkshire all season, and some positive performances could put Farke and his team in a good position to break out of the slide.
Everything went well, especially in the aforementioned 3-1 away win against Wolves, with new signings Anton Stach, Calvert-Lewin and Okafor in goal.
Gabriel Gutmundsson also performed well against Old Gold, who were without a manager after joining from Lille in July.
In fact, Leeds-based social media account Leeds Press hailed the Swede as a man who “gives everything” after Wolves’ victory as he made eight clearances and won three duels to keep the Molineux hosts at bay.
In addition to averaging 3.5 ball recoveries in 10 Premier League games and creating two big chances, Leeds felt like they had hit the jackpot with Junior Firpo’s perfect substitution on the left.
Journalist James Marshment had the audacity to state in late September that he was “one of the best left-backs in the Premier League this season”. At just £10 million, he certainly proved a bargain.
Unfortunately for the Swedish regular, however, he put in a horror-show performance on the south coast, being turned around all game by Jankva Minte’s quick attacks.
Gudamundsson vs Brighton | |
|---|---|
status | Guðmundsson |
Play time (minutes) | 90 |
Number of points scored | 0 |
assist | 0 |
touch | 72 |
exact path | 35/42 (83%) |
loss of ownership | 16x |
dribbled past | 2x |
tackle win | 1/2 |
Total number of duels won | 7/12 |
Statistics by Sofa Score | |
The strong, hard-hitting full-back, who bounced back in style from an own goal against Fulham, was nowhere to be seen against the Seagulls.
He was the weaker member of Falke’s defense, dribbling past him twice and falling victim to Okafor-like play, giving up possession 16 times.
So it could well be a nod for James Justin to replace Gudamundsson at the City Ground.
This is unlikely to be the only change as manager Farke looks to select a refreshed squad that can put a stop to Leeds’ poor behavior on the road.
