Leeds United

League leaders Leeds United welcome Sheffield Wednesday as the Whites look to stay on top of the Championship on Sunday afternoon (15:00 GMT).

Leeds are on a nine-match unbeaten streak but struggled to find a goal against League Two's Harrogate Town before winger Largie Ramazani's header in the second half of their 1-0 FA Cup victory.

The Owls are coming off the disappointment of faltering to Coventry City in their FA Cup penalty shootout.

The South Yorkshire side are currently residing in 10th on the league table and a win could see them in the mix to compete for a play-off spot.

• Leeds United have won each of their past two league games against Sheffield Wednesday 2-0 and will be looking to win three in succession against the Owls for the first time since April 2000 in the Premier League (4).

• Sheffield Wednesday have lost just one of their past four away league games against Leeds United (W2 D1), conceding just two goals in total across those matches and keeping clean sheets on each of their last two visits to Elland Road.

• Leeds are unbeaten across their past 17 league games against fellow Yorkshire sides (W12 D5), keeping 11 clean sheets during that time and conceding more than one goal in just one of those matches.

• Sheffield Wednesday have won five of their past eight away league games (D1 L2), as many as their previous 14 matches on the road (D1 L8).

• Joel Piroe is Leeds United's top scorer in the league this season (10) and is the only player to net 10+ goals in each of the past four Championship seasons (2 at Leeds, 2 at Swansea).

Leeds want to sign versatile Plymouth wing-back Bali Mumba to aid their promotion push this month. (Leeds United News, external)

The Whites are ready to let veteran French midfielder Josuha Guilavogui return home to join Paris FC just three months after his arrival at Elland Road. (Football League World, external)

Want more transfer stories? Read Thursday's full gossip column.

Adam Pope
BBC Radio Leeds reporter

Leeds United lead the Championship's scoring charts with 48 goals this season, yet there is a constant concern about the lack of a number nine regularly finding the net.

Mateo Joseph busted a gut to discover the Midas touch in front of goal against Harrogate Town in the FA Cup after being given another chance to start by manager Daniel Farke.

He failed to make contact with a great cross at the near post which he then struck moments later. It was almost cruel as Joseph laboured too hard thereafter to add to his two strikes this season, the last of which came three months ago in the 2-0 victory over Sheffield United.

Since then, 17 appearances later, admittedly 13 of which have been from the bench, he has yet to add a third.

You feel there is a lot of goodwill towards the 21-year-old forward who struck twice at Chelsea in the FA Cup last season to not only announce himself but suggest he could be the main man, certainly in the Championship.

Having started as first choice, he has essentially fallen behind Joel Piroe in the pecking order, and the Dutchman is already into double figures.

However, Joseph has kept a returning Patrick Bamford at bay even when the once-capped England international had recovered from another injury before being side-lined again with a hamstring problem which is set to keep him out this month. Bamford has started just one of the eleven matches he has featured in this term and has failed to trouble the net.

Out-of-favour Joe Gelhardt, despite Bamford's continuing woe, has been allowed to complete a loan move to Hull City. With two and a half years left on his contract and just two league starts under Daniel Farke since the German arrived in the summer of 2024, Gelhardt needs games. He has not scored for almost 18 months.

It leaves United light in the striker department although Farke insists the club "will stay awake" while reiterating he expects "a quiet window". Goals are coming from elsewhere in Brenden Aaronson and the wide men but, for some, there is a feeling Leeds could be caught waiting in the wings with promotion in sight.

Listen to West Yorkshire Sport Daily, weeknights at 18:00 GMT, and subscribe to BBC Radio Leeds' Don't Go To Bed Just Yet podcast on BBC Sounds

Leeds United striker Patrick Bamford is on a "long list" of players Blackburn Rovers are looking at as potential signings in January. (Lancashire Telegraph), external

Hull City are close to the loan signing of Leeds forward Joe Gelhardt - who was wanted by ambitious League One side Wrexham. (Goal), external

Want more transfer news from the EFL? Take a look at Tuesday's gossip here.

Image source, Rex Features

Leeds United boss Daniel Farke made eight changes against Harrogate Town in their FA Cup Yorkshire derby but did the players brought in impress?

Keeper Karl Darlow kept a clean sheet amid questions over Illan Meslier's first-choice status, while defender Josuha Guilavogui might have had a lucky escape when Harrogate's Josh March went down in the penalty box.

Jonny Buchan, Adam Pope and Kaiser Chiefs bassist Simon Rix offer up their opinions on the quality on show in the latest edition of BBC Radio Leeds' Whites podcast.

Episode 136 of Don't Go To Bed Just Yet is out now and you can find it on the BBC Sounds app, or wherever you get your podcasts.

You can listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds.

Adonis Storr
Fan writer

Image source, Rex Features

After a typical little burst of speed and chipped cross from Manor Solomon on Saturday afternoon, Largie Ramazani converted the easiest of headers to score his fourth goal for Leeds.

It was a fine reward for the Belgian's work-rate throughout the game against Harrogate.

Ramazani's United career hasn't really taken off yet.

Frustrated by an ankle ligament injury in October, his bright start of three goals and an assist in his first eight games was cut short.

What the Whites have been missing was seen against Harrogate Town, energy, a directness when attacking and a hunger for goals.

Per 90 minutes, only Joel Piroe has had more shots than Largie this season.

In a side that is accused of trying to pass the ball into the goal, he is one attacker who offers something different.

"It feels great to be back on the pitch and get a goal" said Largie in a post-match interview, "it was a frustrating period for me, obviously with the injury. I'm trying to get back my confidence and the form that I had."

Daniel Farke was questioned why he didn't play youth players like Charlie Crew and Joe Gelhardt – who are going out on loan to get minutes.

The Leeds manager instead saw the cup game as a chance to give players returning from injury a run out.

"To have the feeling of being part of the group again after a long injury, to be back on the pitch, to have the first game under the belt – it is priceless" said Farke following Saturday's game.

Along with others on the way back like Isaac Schmidt, Junior Firpo and Illia Gruev, Ramazani's return gives Leeds a welcome boost, heading into a tricky 2025, with only three points separating the top four of the Championship.

Find more from Adonis Storr at The Roaring Peacock, external

Leeds United are not looking to sell forward Wilfried Gnonto amid interest from Saudi Arabia. (Football Insider, external)

Hull City are closing in on a loan deal for Leeds striker Joe Gelhardt that will see him join the Tigers for the remainder of the season. (Hull Live, external)

Want more transfer news from the EFL? Take a look at Monday's gossip here.

Hull City are set to beat Luton and Wrexham to the capture of Leeds forward Joe Gelhardt on loan for the rest of the season. (Football League World, external)

Want more EFL transfer stories? Read Sunday's full gossip column.

Image source, Rex Features

Several Championship clubs will be playing close attention to comments from Aston Villa boss Unai Emery about attacking midfielder Louie Barry.

The 21-year-old has been recalled by Villa this week after a stellar loan spell with League One Stockport, where he scored 16 goals this season.

Leeds, Sunderland, Sheffield United, Sheffield Wednesday, Derby, Middlesbrough, Millwall and Coventry are among the clubs reported to be keen on taking Barry for a stint in the second tier for the remainder of the campaign.

Speaking ahead of Villa's FA Cup third round clash with West Ham, Emery said: "(Barry) trained with us and we are going to make a plan with him, an overall plan,

"I think he is a very good player who is progressing well. He has been on loan doing fantastic. Now we can have a new plan with him.

"He improved because he was scoring a lot of goals on loan. With us he only trained today and yesterday. Of course we are going to try and get a good plan for the club with him."

Image source, Rex Features

We told you earlier that an Opta statistic showed that Leeds United's Illan Meslier's 'expected goal preventions' is the lowest among the keepers in the top four clubs - Burnley's James Trafford, Sheffield United's Michael Cooper and Sunderland's Anthony Patterson.

When asked if you thought the Frenchman should stay or go, here's what you had to say.

Sue: Our goalkeeper has let us down recently. However, he does have talent. It appears to me that the right thing to do might be to put him on the bench for a few games.

My thinking is he may believe he is irreplaceable and this could give him a nudge he needs.

We have a good defence and when we didn't, he did save us. Could be the concentration isn't there any when he is involved, he tries too hard.

Neil: I would think Meslier will be hurting as we fans are.

He is generally a very good keeper, but he has to concentrate harder to cut out the costly errors.

I'm sure he will and I'm sure he will be better for the rest of the season.

Mark: He's regressed and lost confidence which affects the defence in front of him who can't be sure he'll do the right thing.

He needs to be dropped.

Carl: He hasn't improved in 4 years, gone backwards.

A liability with the ball at his feet and does not dominate his area. Time to go.

Image source, Getty Images

Leeds United goalkeeper Illan Meslier has created a lot of noise as of late.

His mistakes proved costly against Hull City on Saturday, as they did against Sunderland back in October.

But he has kept the faith of boss Daniel Farke, who points out that Meslier was named the top Championship goalkeeper last season and has kept 14 clean sheets in their current campaign.

However, a recent Opta stat that estimates the 'expected goal preventions' of all second-tier keepers who have played over 1,000 minutes saw Meslier score -0.3.

The metric subtracts the number of goals conceded by a keeper (in Meslier's case - 17) from his expected goals faced (where the relative shot quality of each on-target attempt is calculated and totalled; for Meslier it's 16.7).

The Frenchman has prevented the least amount of goals of any of the top four clubs' keepers, with the other three - Burnley's James Trafford (7), Sheffield United's Michael Cooper (4.7) and Sunderland's Anthony Patterson (2.9) - all having positive goal prevention scores.

It also places Meslier in the bottom half of Championship keepers for such stats - for a team challenging for the title, does that mean he is the weak link?

And if so, does he need to go? Or do the numbers lie and it's a case of lies, damn lies and statistics?

Let us know what you think here.

Image source, Getty Images

This will be the first ever competitive meeting between Leeds United and Harrogate Town, with the Whites only progressing from one of their last five FA Cup ties against sides from England's fourth tier.

Leeds United have progressed from four of their past five FA Cup ties against fellow Yorkshire sides, with their latest witnessing the Whites beat Rotherham United 2-0 at Elland Road in January 2016.

Leeds are hoping to beat Werder Bremen to the signing of former Germany striker Mergim Berisha from Hoffenheim, with a long-term loan deal a possibility. (Sky Sports Germany, external)

Want more EFL transfer stories? Read Friday's full gossip column.

Image source, Rex Features

Leeds United boss Daniel Farke has been named the EFL's Championship manager of the month for December.

Leeds were unbeaten last month, with five wins and one draw from their six games, which saw them finish 2024 top of the table.

They also only conceded two goals in that run, while scoring 13.

It is the first time Farke has won the award this season.

Leeds have drawn their opening two games of January and host Harrogate Town in the FA Cup third round on Saturday.

QPR head coach Marti Cifuentes, Burnley's Scott Parker and Danny Rohl of Sheffield Wednesday were also nominated for the award.