Leeds United

Adonis Storr
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

Against Wolves on Saturday, Karl Darlow made five saves - the first time in a year a Leeds United goalkeeper had made that many.

Darlow has never looked anything other than solid for the Whites.

Leeds' recent history with goalkeepers has been one nerve-shredding ordeal after the next. Just the mention of the names Bailey Peacock-Farrell, Kiko Casillas and Illan Meslier fill me with dread.

Their sense of uncertainty in key moments was infectious and would spread through the defence and crowd. While neither Peacock-Farrell nor Meslier were experienced enough to provide a commanding presence; Casillas' erratic manner left centre-backs with no way to predict his next foray into midfield.

So when Darlow emerged from the tunnel in United's starting line-up against Luton away in March of this year – it was like a weight had been lifted off the shoulders of the players and fans.

The Welshman immediately had a song, Leeds went unbeaten to win the league and the only mystery was why he had to wait so long for his chance.

Flash forward to this summer's transfer window and at 27 years-old and 6 foot 5 ins, Lucas Perri walked into Leeds' shopping cart – he fits the club's 'giants in their prime' profile exactly.

And while Perri is clearly a tremendous shot stopper; and has an enormous presence in his box; his distribution and footwork has felt precarious. Perri is clearly a far superior goalkeeper to the trio of Bailey, Kiko and Illan, but on the ball, similar anxieties have started to emerge.

Darlow's calm assured demeanour, solid technical ability, knowledge of Daniel Farke's system; and his connection to Ethan Ampadu and Joe Rodon through the Welsh national team, are all undeniable.

Surely even Farke is now asking the question: is Darlow Leeds' best goalkeeper?

Find more from Adonis Storr at The Roaring Peacock, external

Leeds United are monitoring Manchester City's Nico O'Reilly, with Chelsea, Bayer Leverkusen and Lyon also interested in the versatile 20-year-old. (Football Insider), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Tuesday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

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BBC Radio Leeds' Adam Pope says Dominic Cavert-Lewin will "get goals and cause problems" for Daniel Farke's side this season after his "sensational" display in the 3-1 win over Wolves.

The 28-year-old scored his first Whites goal at Molinuex and impressed with his hold-up and link play throughout.

"My man of the match was Calvert-Lewin," Pope told the Don't Go To Bed Just Yet podcast.

"His attitude and confidence said 'even if I don't score, I'll be fine'. His performance was fantastic from everywhere and having players like that in your team who know the Premier League makes such a difference.

"It's not just the fact he scored, it was his overall play. His hang-time, winning headers, winning free-kicks.

"He wins the free-kick that [Anotn] Stach scores from and does it again in the second-half when they haven't had any play in the final third - he wins a dangerous free-kick because he's clever and he's got the legs.

"He brought people into play, he just played with a real joy about him, and was just the perfect number nine. He did lots of minutes too - it was a long time before [Lucas] Nmecha came on.

"Keep him fit and he is going to get goals and cause problems. He was sensational."

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

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A new episode of the Don't Go To Bed Just Yet podcast is available to download and listen to on BBC Sounds.

Jonny Buchan, Adam Pope and Simon Rix look back on an impressive victory on the road at Wolves and analyse the Whites' attack after first goals for new signings Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Noah Okafor.

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

Sam Ashoo
Final Score reporter at Molineux

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Noah Okafor has arrived at Leeds United. Well, technically he arrived in August, but his performance in Saturday's win at Wolves suggests Daniel Farke's side could have a big talent on their hands.

The Switzerland international attempted 12 dribbles in the first half alone. While not all were successful, his willingness to take players on and make things happen is a welcome addition to a team that had scored just one Premier League goal before this game.

More important than his dribbles was his goal, calmly sliding the ball past Jose Sa with real composure.

At a time when possession percentages are prevalent in football, it is refreshing to watch players who simply want to get on the ball and beat defenders.

Okafor is one of those, and he could play a key role in Leeds' season.

We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League game between Wolves and Leeds.

Here are some of your comments:

Wolves fan

Laura: The kind of performance that would normally make you think we weren't far away from a change of manager. No idea where we go from here - apart from the Championship. Too many players with too little experience in the Premier League and it shows.

Lee: This one is on Vitor Pereira, a manager who has just been given a new deal despite our abysmal start to the season. Why did Emanuel Agbadou start despite his awful form? Why is our most experienced signing Jhon Arias not starting? Why does the formation keep changing to no effect? Why don't we have any natural leaders in the squad? This was an embarrassment that has been caused by inept decision-making from the manager and ultimately the owners. It didn't need to be this way.

Dan: Everything that is happening at Wolves is worrying. Leeds weren't great, but just put a little pressure on us and we made mistakes and gifted goals. The team has no identity. It's just a group of players, who are individually pretty good, thrown together in the hope they will perform. Pack your bags for the Championship lads, if any of you bother sticking around for next season.

Mark: Played five, deserved to lose five. Yet another abysmal performance. The squad is simply not good enough to compete at this level. Hope, optimism and any positivity for survival this season has gone already. The fans have a voice that was made very clear at the game. This season we WILL be relegated.

Leeds fans

John: One swallow doesn't make a summer but a good result and plenty to build on. Dominic Calvert-Lewin looked the part, but it was Wolves we were playing. Anton Stach is settling in, and I'm still impressed with the defensive setup. I think Karl Darlow is our keeper now.

Si: Solid in defence and solid in midfield providing a good base. Now it looks like the attack have showed up too. Very encouraging while Darlow is playing himself into the number one shirt too. The pressure is off a bit for the time being. Hopefully, we can take some confidence from that game into a couple of tougher ones ahead.

Mark: Another three points towards safety and two more goals towards a positive goal difference. Delighted that we showed real organisation and resilience to come back from one down and a strong second half.

Andrew: I think it was a result that was coming. They were really unlucky last week and I think Calvert-Lewin just needed his first goal.

Hear more from Farke on BBC Sounds, plus hear from Calvert-Lewin, Noah Okafor and Anton Stach.

Matthew Howarth
BBC Sport journalist

Dominic Calvert-Lewin hasn't had the easiest start to his Leeds career.

In last month's Carabao Cup second-round tie at Sheffield Wednesday, the 28-year-old spurned a glorious opportunity to score a stoppage-time winner before missing his penalty in the subsequent shootout, launching his effort high over the bar as the Owls progressed.

Toothless displays against Newcastle and Fulham followed but his fantastic header at Molineux was the ideal response to fans and pundits who have been questioning his form and fitness record.

According to Transfermarkt, Calvert-Lewin has missed nearly 600 days through injury since the 2018-19 season, including the majority of the second half of last term after suffering a hamstring injury in an away game at Brighton back in January.

He ended his final season at Everton on three Premier League goals but Leeds boss Daniel Farke is confident the striker can rediscover his scoring touch at Elland Road this season.

Other clear-cut openings may have been in short supply but there was no faulting Calvert-Lewin's effort at Molineux.

The striker was involved all over the pitch, with only three of his 36 touches occurring inside the Wolves penalty area.

Only Brenden Aaronson (47) registered more pressure than Calvert-Lewin (37), who clocked up more off-the-ball runs (29) and sprints (12) than any of his Leeds colleagues.

Pundits Wayne Rooney and Danny Murphy join host Kelly Cates to bring you the action and talking points from Saturday's Premier League fixtures.

Watch on BBC iPlayer here

And listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Brighton 2-2 Tottenham

• Wolves 1-3 Leeds

• Man Utd 2-1 Chelsea

Matthew Howarth
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

After going three consecutive Premier League games without finding the net, fans and pundits alike had been questioning where Leeds' goals were going to come from this season.

The visitors went into the game having yet to score from open play in the top flight but they delivered an emphatic response to their doubters with three fantastic first-half strikes.

For all the questions over his fitness record, Dominic Calvert-Lewin's wonderful first-half header suggests he has lost none of the aerial threat that earned him a reputation as one of the league's most dangerous strikers around the turn of the decade.

If Leeds' first goal was good, their second was even better as Anton Stach combined precision and power to curl a wonderful free-kick into the top corner after Calvert-Lewin had been fouled by Ladislav Krejci on the edge of the box

Noah Okafor's calm finish late in the half meant Leeds had scored three first-half goals in a Premier League away game for the first time since December 2020, when they beat West Brom 5-0 at the Hawthorns.

Daniel Farke's side adopted a more measured approach in the second half, restricting Wolves to few clear-cut opportunities while continuing to pose a threat on the counter-attack.

Their two-goal cushion rarely looked under serious threat, however, and they comfortably held on to win their first top-flight away game since beating Wolves 4-2 at Molineux in March 2023.

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

Have your say on Wolves' performance

What did you make of Leeds' display?

Come back on Monday for a selection of your replies

Vitor Pereira makes four changes to the Wolves team that started last weekend's 1-0 defeat at Newcastle.

Jose Sa, Jackson Tchatchoua, Toluwalase Arokodare and Fer Lopez - who makes his first Premier League start - all come in. Sam Johnstone, Hugo Bueno, Andre and Hwang Hee-chan drop to the bench, where they are joined by fit-again striker Jorgen Strand Larsen.

Wolves XI: Sa, Agbadou, Mosquera, Toti Gomes, Tchatchoua, Lopez, Joao Gomes, Krejci, Rodrigo Gomes, Arokodare, Bellegarde

Subs: Johnstone, Hugo Bueno, Santiago Bueno, Munetsi, Andre, Strand Larsen, Arias, Hwang, Hoever

Daniel Farke keeps faith with the Leeds side that started their dramatic 1-0 defeat away to Fulham last Saturday.

Joel Piroe is on the bench after recovering from injury, but Daniel James and Wilfried Gnonto miss out.

Leeds XI: Darlow, Bogle, Rodon, Struijk, Gudmundsson, Longstaff, Ampadu, Stach, Aaronson, Calvert-Lewin, Okafor

Subs: Meslier, Piroe, Nmecha, Bijol, Harrison, Tanaka, Justin, Gruev, Gray

There are seven games in the Premier League on Saturday and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.

• Liverpool v Everton (12:30)

• Brighton v Tottenham - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Burnley v Nottingham Forest

• West Ham v Crystal Palace

• Wolves v Leeds

• Manchester United v Chelsea (17:30) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Fulham v Brentford (20:00)

Kick-off times 15:00 BST unless stated

Follow all of the action and reaction here

When I lost at predictions a few weeks running last season, I didn't get a call from the BBC offering me a new deal. Yet that seems to have happened with Wolves boss Vitor Pereira, which is really odd.

They have already lost their first four league games and, if he loses the next four, they will be calling for his head.

Wolves might feel they deserved something from their defeat at Newcastle last time out, after starting that game quite well, but that is nothing on how devastated Leeds will be feeling after losing out to a last-gasp own goal at Fulham.

That left Leeds without a point or even a goal on the road, while Wolves are without a point at all, so something has to give here.

Wolves are without the injured Jorgen Strand Larsen up front, which is a blow, but I'm still backing them to win this one.

Maybe a new contract for Pereira will mean a new dawn for his team?

Sutton's prediction: 1-0

Read the full predictions and have your say here

Matthew Hobbs
BBC Sport journalist

Wolves entertain Leeds United hoping to kick-start their season after losing the opening four matches for the first time in the club's league history.

Leeds have won four points on their Premier League return so far but are yet to score a goal from open play this season.

BBC Sport examines some of the key themes ahead of the meeting at Molineux.

Wolves struggling at the bottom

The 20th of September may feel too early for a relegation six-pointer but there's no doubt that both Wolves and Leeds United will view this game as an opportunity to pick up a priceless three points.

Wolves have endured the club's worst start to a league season, losing their opening four matches for the first time.

They held on to the services of key striker Jorgen Strand Larsen during the summer window despite multiple bids from Newcastle United but the Norwegian international has missed defeats by Everton and the Magpies due to an Achilles injury.

His absence – which is set to continue against Leeds – has been a huge factor in Wolves' difficult start to the season.

Strand Larsen scored two goals on his most recent appearance in the League Cup victory over West Ham United in August although his lack of minutes so far in the Premier League have contributed to Wolves recording the lowest expected goals tally of any top-flight team this season.

It is a problem compounded by failings at the other end of the pitch: Wolves have conceded a league-high eights goals from open play, while only Manchester United have made more errors leading to goals.

Leeds lightweight in attack

Leeds have accumulated four more points than Wolves ahead of this weekend but they have echoed the struggles of Vitor Pereira's side in front of goal.

Daniel Farke's men are yet to score a goal from open play since returning to the Premier League, with their only win so far coming via a controversial penalty in their opening fixture at home to Everton.

Their shot conversion rate of 2.3% is the worst of any Premier League side other than Aston Villa, who are yet to score a goal of any kind. Leeds have also had the fewest shots on target of any team (eight).

It means a tight affair can be expected at Molineux although home supporters may take confidence from Leeds' two away performances so far, in which the Elland Road side have conceded a total of six goals in losses at Arsenal and Fulham.

If Wolves fans need further reassurance they could turn to a quirk of Farke's managerial record: the Leeds boss has lost all seven of his Premier League matches against sides whose names start with W - the worst 100% losing record by a manager against sides beginning with the same letter – and two of those have come against Wolves.

Lewis Deighton
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

Despite having only scored one goal in their opening four league games – a record low for the club, Leeds United are already on course for Premier League survival.

A point per game (38 points) has been enough for the past 10 seasons. A sum of 35 is the average – being enough in eight of those, and the last five have seen record lows of 29, 27 and 26.

Many predict that the three promoted sides will go straight back down for a third consecutive year – but Leeds already have more points from their first four games than any of those clubs managed. Luton and Southampton were on zero. Burnley and Sheffield United were on one. Leicester and Ipswich were on two.

I don't care how boring or frustrating this season is as long as we stay up - and four points from four games is a solid start, having kept two clean sheets and faced two Champions League sides.

A win at Molineux would see us seven points clear of Wolves and would essentially allow us to lose our following two games from a points per game perspective. That's just how I'm choosing to view things. I don't expect this season to be entertaining, or even enjoyable – I just expect us to have a good chance of staying up by any means necessary.

I'd be lying though if I said our lack of goals isn't a concern – especially having not scored from open play yet. I question whether we have enough in the final third. My worry is if we fall behind the points per game metric, which seems inevitable for a promoted side at some point, how we react to that.

That may even come as early as tomorrow given that Wolves are even more desperate on no points.

Lewis is a visual producer for the Don't Go To Bed Just Yet podcast

Nat Hayward
BBC Sport journalist

Leeds United boss Daniel Farke has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Wolves at Molineux (15:00 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Farke said Daniel James and Willy Gnonto are "major doubts" for Saturday's game and "late calls" will be made on both. James is still struggling with a hit in a core muscle while Gnonto has missed some training sessions with calf problems.

• The boss also confirmed goalkeeper Lucas Perri is still out, saying: "Middle of next week, we'll have a better picture."

• Ao Tanaka and Joel Piroe are both "back in contention" after returning from injury but "there is competition": "Deliver good performances, wait patiently for chances and grab your chance."

• He said the door is open for Jack Harrison to fight his way to a starting berth: "If he continues with his hard work, he maybe can get into the XI one day. Jack is always in my mind [for team selection]."

• Is the trip to struggling Wolves a must-win?: "I go into every game with 100% motivation to win the game. If we can't win it, then the aim is to not lose it. If win, lose or draw - nothing would be decided yet. Doesn't make our life easier."

• More on the challenge of travelling to Molineux: "We are always desperate to score and win games. We also stay humble. A newly promoted side away from home is always the underdog but we don't travel with fear."

• On summer signing Jaka Bijol: "For 80% of the Premier League, if you sign a defender for £15m, he is a squad player. I like Jaka a lot and the fact is he was not available for first game day. But in the mid and long term - we haven't signed Jaka for the first four games."

• On 16-year-old forward Harry Gray who scored a hat-trick for the under-21s in the National League Cup in midweek: "If I had to select a manager to manage a young player, I would say it is me, to be honest. He needs game time with under-21s and to not lose his striker instincts. What he needs most is time and peace."

Follow all of Thursday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

Listen to full commentary of Wolves v Leeds on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra 2 from 15:00 BST on Saturday

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Leeds midfielder Ilia Gruev says it is "a challenge" to try to reclaim his place in midfield since Ethan Ampadu's return from injury but that the squad's strength in depth is helping Daniel Farke's side improve.

"We have so many good players," Gruev told BBC Radio Leeds. "You can see in training also how high the level is."

"I can feel as a player that this makes me better because every day you have great team-mates with a lot of quality and you have always to be aware.

"I think the [match against Wolves] is going to be in our favour because I think we will get better and better from week to week.

"We still want to stay calm out of these games now. We didn't concede in two games. Unfortunately in the last game against Fulham, [conceding] in the last minute was a tough one.

"Nobody expects now us to go to Wolverhampton and score a lot of goals. Of course if it happens, great, and it can happen.

"We want to stick to our principles, we want to play our football, and then the goals will come."

Listen to the full interview on BBC Sounds

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Leeds Under-21 captain Alfie Cresswell has signed a new three-year deal with the Whites.

The 18-year-old midfielder led his side to victory in the National League Cup and has scored two goals in three matches in the Premier League 2 so far this season.

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Kaiser Chiefs bassist and Leeds fan Simon Rix told BBC Radio Leeds' Don't Go To Bed Just Yet podcast that Saturday's match against Wolves (15:00 BST) is one that Daniel Farke's side should be targeting to win.

Leeds have picked up four points from their opening four Premier League matches, while Wolves are without a point and are bottom of the table.

After a late defeat against Fulham, Rix said: "Narrative wise, it just depends what happens at Wolves. If we beat Wolves then nobody cares any more."

BBC Radio Leeds' Adam Pope added: "Wolves is the one who have lost any defensive capability they had under [Vitor] Pereira and I think they've made something like 11 changes since the opening game and it is the worst start they have had so it is the one [game for Leeds to target]."

Leeds were victorious in their opening league match against Everton but have failed to win or a score a league goal since, and Rix believes facing Wolves is a good opportunity to rectify that.

He said: "Every game this season so far, there has been an argument that you do just go for a 0-0 and keep it tight and try to nick one. Is the Wolves away game the first game of the season where you go 'this is a game where we need to try to win it?'"

Listen to the full podcast on BBC Sounds