When it was confirmed that Leeds were heading back to the Premier League in 2025, it was at a time when newly promoted Championship clubs were struggling to keep their heads above water. All three sides in 2023-24 and 2024-25 went straight back down by season’s end, and there were real worries of teams in the Championship not having the means to compete in the PL going forward.
For now, those worries have been assuaged. Sunderland defied the odds to finish 7th and qualified for the Europa League. While Leeds themselves didn’t reach those same heights, they ended up comfortably surviving relegation by the end with a 14th place finish, thanks in part to a strong end to the campaign that saw them claim 14 points in their final seven matches.
Compared to how other promoted sides were constructed, Leeds’ success came from them leaning into what the PL had evolved to. The past few years has seen the top flight of English football covet athleticism to a high degree, which has led to this current era where controlling possession isn’t as necessary for success. In some ways, it’s an upscale version of what the PL during the 2000s used to be. Leeds’ survival stemmed from them increasing the level of physicality across the squad. Those athletic gains helped Leeds control their own box and the opposition’s at a high enough level to ensure survival.
What was interesting with Leeds last season was they didn’t initially lean into winning through athleticism and energy. Rather, they tried to play at a slower pace during build up and be proactive with the ball, which didn’t work. A change to a back three system in December 2025 allowed Leeds to better compete through greater solidity out of possession, competing for second balls, and swifter attacks.
Through eight games in the 2026-27 season, Leeds continue to play in a similar manner as they did during the high points of last season. According to Opta Analyst, they have the 4th-fewest passes per sequence and rank 5th in highest direct speed (Statsbomb has them 8th in pace to goal). Unsurprisingly, they are tied for 16th in attacks originating from buildup. Leeds’ zones of control depict a side that doesn’t tend to control territory compared to others in the division.
A lot of what Leeds do in open play is based on how they react during non-structured scenarios. You’ll often see them try and go long in buildup, usually towards Dominic Calvert-Lewin. They rank 6th in long balls attempted per game. Should he be successful at winning the first ball, there’ll be teammates trying to make runs off of him. If the opposition wins the first ball, they’re usually able to position themselves for the 2nd ball.
Leeds’ compactness also allows them to counterpress when needed. According to MarkStats, only Brighton have allowed a lower opponent's open-play pass completion in the first 10 seconds after the team loses the ball in the opponent's half. Once they get the ball back, it’s quickly moved forward along the flanks or the likes of Ao Tanaka and Ethan Ampadu will try to make an incisive pass through the middle. If possession is regained around the final third, you get crosses whipped back into the penalty area to keep the pressure going.
A big key for Leeds within their back three setup is how the wing-backs are used. Gabriel Gudmundsson on the left and Jayden Bogle on the right are quite important to how the team tries to crash the box, as they often support the frontline. There’ll be moments where one of them is attempting the cross, while the other is at the far post. You’ll also see some funky movements where, despite being one of the wide center-backs, James Justin will provide overlapping runs when Bogle is situated in the right halfspace. All three of Gudmundsson, Bogle, and Justin played a part in Leeds’ lone goal against Arsenal, illustrating Leeds’ most consistent method for generating chances in open play.
If there was a most valuable player for Leeds, it would have to be Calvert-Lewin. In addition to being a focal point to go long towards, he does a lot of grunt work to help give his teammates a chance at progressing upfield. He has long been one of the best in aerials won, and that’s continued this season. Calvert-Lewin is the kind of striker who can work off of scraps and still leave an impact on matches.
Part of the dirty work that Calvert-Lewin delivers is off the ball. He’s constantly trying to make runs in behind vs mid-blocks. Central defenders have to constantly be on their toes, even though his teammates don’t always try to feed him the ball in these situations. Rather, once it goes out wide is where you’ll see a big emphasis on trying to get him the ball in the box through cut-backs and crosses. To help cause confusion, he’ll often stray in an offside position before veering back onside to try and make himself open for those wide deliveries. Signing Calvert-Lewin on a free has turned into one of the better moves by a PL club in recent years.
There is a limit to how much Leeds have been able to produce in open play this season through this play style. According to Teams Lab, only Coventry and Hull have produced fewer expected goals from open play. Even after adjusting for strength of schedule and red cards, Leeds climb just one spot, from 18th to 17th. Some of this is just the reality of the on-ball talent of the squad. Qualitatively, most would agree they’re in the bottom half of the league and that plays a part. If the wingplay or counterpress doesn’t help generate good opportunities, it can be a struggle for Leeds to find consistent methods towards penetrating the box.
Fortunately for Leeds, what’s kept their attack from truly being catastrophic has been their prowess from set pieces. According to Opta Analyst, they’re 4th in shots and lead the league in expected goals from dead ball situations. No other team in the PL has had a greater share of their shots and xG from set-pieces. Statsbomb has them 2nd behind Brentford for set-piece xG.
Compared to other clubs in the league, Leeds’ set piece design isn’t fancy. There’s not a ton of misdirection baked into their routines. Given the amount of players in the squad who are above average in terms of physical prowess, it makes sense that their set pieces are based on winning the first ball. While teams know what’s coming, they’ve been hard-pressed to stop it, whether it be during long throws towards the box or corners.
Ampadu’s long throws are a staple of their set piece portfolio. Once it’s launched towards the near side, the aim is trying to create a flick-on by winning the first ball and destabilizing the opposition. One variant is having a Leeds player directly at the post hovering into the area to add support. From there, Calvert-Lewin will usually dart towards the middle around the six-yard box for possible shooting opportunities from in tight. There would also be someone on the far side, such as Tanaka, who could find himself open for wide angle shots.
The focus on establishing an advantage on the near side shows itself during corners as well. There is some variation on how Leeds set up before the corner is taken, including lining up in a stack formation. If they want to add extra pressure, there’ll be someone near the goalkeeper to obstruct them as much as possible without being called for an infraction. For both throw-ins and corners, Leeds have also shown the ability to continually apply pressure during the second phase of set pieces to create chances (their third goal vs Newcastle being an example).
In the 1-1 draw vs Manchester United, the goal scored came from an outswinging corner by Anton Stach. While the defending on United’s part was porous, it shows how Leeds can punish opponents. Justin and Nico Elvedi both sprint towards the near post for a potential flick-on, and while the delivery goes past them, their movement helps create a mismatch between Tarik Muharemović and Bryan Mbeumo. While that’s happening, Calvert-Lewin spins away from Carlos Baleba to get to the second ball and is in prime position to score.
On the whole, Leeds’ attack has done just enough to not be a drag on their overall statistical profile. Aided by their set-piece prowess, they reside in the bottom half for non-penalty expected goals, but with a gap between themselves and the bottom group. What could help juice their open play is a bump in dangerous looks generated from transitions. Via Opta Analyst, they’re only tied for 14th in shots from high turnovers, tied for 17th in fast breaks, and last in direct attacks. Some of this might just be variance with the season not even being a quarter of the way through, but it’s something to monitor going forward.
For now, Leeds are in a good position. They’re tied for 6th on points with Brentford, and more importantly, are five up on 18th place Nottingham Forest with a superior goal difference (+4 vs -3). Both Opta and Teams Lab have them projected to cross the 50 point threshold and improve upon last season. Embracing parts of the tactical meta (physicality, set pieces) has helped Leeds be competitive for nearly a calendar year, and gives them a real chance at building a future as a stable Premier League club.
