The ramifications of a win or a defeat are significant as Leeds United approach the quarter-mark of the season
Isaac Johnson Leeds United reporter
12:25, 23 Oct 2025
Isaac Johnson
Isaac is the Leeds United reporter for LeedsLive. An NCTJ-qualified journalist, Isaac has interviewed many football icons during his career, including World Cup winners and Premier League champions. He has also sat down with a number of Olympic greats, such as Adam Peaty MBE and Dame Laura Kenny.
Friday is a huge game for Leeds United
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Friday is a huge game for Leeds United(Image: Mike Morese/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Daniel Farke says Friday’s game has no more pressure than any other Premier League fixture, but few others feel the same way. Leeds United have to beat West Ham United.
Some may argue it is more of a must-not-lose game, but the table would indicate otherwise. The Hammers have just four points from their opening eight games and have conceded a league-high 18 goals.
West Ham’s only win came back in August, against a fractured Nottingham Forest side. Nuno Espirito Santo, who ironically managed Forest that day, has so far not managed to stop the rot at the London Stadium.
In his three games in charge, his only point came in a 1-1 draw with Everton, who Leeds beat on the opening night. Right now, West Ham are a relegation rival. Burnley are too, which is why the defeat on Saturday stung so much.
Leeds need to beat those in and around them - it is results against those teams which will determine their fate. United come up against Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool in the space of eight days towards the end of November and into early December.
Before then come matches against Brighton & Hove Albion away, Nottingham Forest away and Aston Villa at home. While the current malaise at Forest will give Leeds some hope, the fixtures against Brighton and Villa are undeniably tricky.
It’s clear why Friday’s match is so crucial. The ramifications of a defeat are evident. Going three games without a point would pile the pressure on Farke amid the very real possibility of going on a five-game losing run.
The club are aiming for a point-per-game average this season and have yet to drop below that line. A loss at West Ham would change that.
The board have plotted out a rough trajectory of where they expect Leeds to be based on the odds of the Whites winning a game against a respective opponent. They are realistic about their chances against the big hitters.
They are looking at the overall picture, so will not jump to any trigger-happy conclusions. But Farke, nevertheless, still has to show his credentials in the games before then. The manager himself says that only points matter.
A draw against West Ham might buy him time but not favour. Granted, Leeds will not have ceded ground to a relegation rival. But having not won for three matches now, the onus to get three points against West Ham is paramount for both fan feeling and player confidence.
It would also relieve the pressure off the squad and the manager. Supporters would feel more optimistic and attain belief that a result can be achieved at Brighton.
Yet if it cannot be, the win over West Ham would soothe the wound. After all, to be painfully simplistic, three points from two games is better than two, one, or none.
Farke has been given a rough guide of 10 wins to tally this season and to get three of those within the first quarter of the Premier League season would keep the Whites on track. There are so many benefits upon a win yet so much concern upon a loss this Friday.
For some, Burnley felt like a crossroads game. The result at Turf Moor means this week’s game against West Ham certainly is.
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