Leeds United have four points from their opening four Premier League games, and in no way can that be described as a poor start to the season for a team expected to be in the relegation dogfight. However, the nature of their performances has sparked fears of going back to the Championship at the end of the campaign.
The Whites have not scored since Lukas Nmecha converted from the spot against Everton at Elland Road last month. Leeds are yet to find the back of the net from open play, and there are serious question marks over their firepower in the Premier League.
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They have not scored fewer goals in the first four games of a league season, setting a new unwanted club record this season. Daniel Farke has openly questioned the quality of attackers at his disposal, pointing out that they got the Whites relegated from the Premier League in 2023.
Leeds are in desperate need of a result ahead of taking Wolves, but some observers have already pointed out that Sunderland’s start to the season should be a real cause of worry for the Whites.
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Leeds United and their relegation fears are real, given Sunderland’s start to the season – Expert
Former Premier League scout Mick Brown has contributed to a discussion about Leeds’ start to the season, conceding that the lack of goals is their biggest concern at this stage.
He believes Leeds will be in major trouble if their forwards don’t start scoring goals, and the morale will take a hit if results do not turn around soon.
Brown also feels Sunderland’s positive start to the season will add more pressure on Leeds, and admitted that he hasn’t seen enough from the Whites to suggest that they will survive.
“The biggest problem for Leeds is they can’t score goals”, Brown told Football Insider.
“As the season goes on, if they don’t find a consistent source of goals, whether it be from Calvert-Lewin or one of their other forwards, Leeds are in big trouble.
“Then the problem is, you’re losing games most weeks and your morale takes a hit, and you start sliding down the table with no way of stopping it.
“I think they’ll be looking at Sunderland and the way they’ve started the season, and that will be a big concern for them.
“As a newly-promoted club, you compare yourselves to those who came up with you because, in all likelihood, they’re the ones you’ll be competing with.
“At the moment, Leeds aren’t showing enough to convince me that they’ve got a real shot of staying up because they just can’t find the net.
“That’s a major, major issue for them, and they need to find a way around it.”
Sunderland are wildly overperforming compared to their metrics, but……
Sunderland are seventh in the Premier League table, but their underlying numbers should have them somewhere around Leeds in the standings.
They are wildly overperforming compared to their metrics, and over the course of the season, it is almost impossible to sustain these results without improved performances.
However, Sunderland did spend more money than Leeds in the summer, and appear to have the firepower to score goals in the Premier League.
They have taken those half chances and have looked more threatening in the final third, Leeds have looked blunt and bereft of ideas.
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