Leeds United have a full midweek to train and prepare for their next Premier League clash with Brighton & Hove Albion at the AMEX next weekend.
One of the aspects of the team's play that Daniel Farke may place a big emphasis on is their ruthlessness in front of goal when it comes to taking the big chances that they are creating this season.
25/26 Premier League Big chances missed
Crystal Palace 22
Manchester City 19
Liverpool 19
Manchester United 17
Leeds United 15
Brentford 15
Arsenal 15
Newcastle United 14
Everton 13
Chelsea 11
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, only four teams have missed more 'big chances' than the West Yorkshire outfit in the Premier League this term, which shows that they have been wasteful in the final third.
The Whites have only scored nine goals in nine matches in the top-flight in the 2025/25 campaign, but the number of 'big chances' that they have missed suggests that they should be well into double figures by now.
Leeds United manager Daniel Farke reacts-1
Part of that is down to the quality, or lack thereof, within the squad in the attacking areas of the pitch. Dominic Calvert-Lewin was brought in to be their main number nine, and they need much more from him.
Why Leeds need more from Dominic Calvert-Lewin
The £100k-per-week centre-forward was signed on a free transfer in the summer transfer window after he was released by Everton at the end of last season.
Calvert-Lewin-1
Calvert-Lewin's only goal for the club in all competitions so far, though, came in the 3-1 win over bottom-of-the-league Wolverhampton Wanderers last month, as he brilliantly guided a header into the back of the net from Jayden Bogle's cross.
The 11-cap England international was a risky signing for the Whites, despite being a vastly experienced player at Premier League level, because of his form in front of goal for Everton in recent seasons.
Since a 16-goal haul in the 2020/21 campaign, when supporters were not allowed in stadiums for the most part, the English striker has failed to hit double figures for goals in a top-flight season.
|Calvert-Lewin's Premier League career|
|Season|xG|Goals|
|---|
|24/25|8.85|3|
|23/24|13.63|7|
|22/23|6.50|2|
|21/22|6.22|5|
|20/21|18.21|16|
|19/20|16.11|13|
|18/19|6.17|6|
|17/18|5.44|4|
|16/17|1.25|1|
|Stats via Understat|
The statistics in the table above show that Leeds signed a player who arrived at Elland Road in fairly dismal form in front of goal as a finisher.
As you can see in the graphic below, that form has carried over to his time in West Yorkshire, as he has missed five 'big chances' and only scored one goal in the Premier League so far this season.
Calvert-Lewin-Leeds-stats
These statistics show that the Whites need more from the experienced forward, because he is one of the main reasons why they are among the worst teams in the division for missing 'big chances'.
Leeds considering move for Championship striker
Amid Calvert-Lewin's struggles as a finisher in the Premier League this season, Leeds are reportedly showing an interest in a striker from the Championship.
According to LeedsUnitedNews, the club are considering a swoop to sign Coventry City centre-forward Haji Wright to bolster their options at the top end of the pitch.
The report claims that Leeds are keen on a deal to sign the USA international when the January transfer window opens for business, after they also considered a move for him in the summer.
haji-wright
However, the outlet adds that it may be difficult for the club to convince the Sky Blues to part ways with the striker, as they are currently top of the Championship and gunning for promotion to the Premier League.
In January, pundit Carlton Palmer claimed that it could take a fee of around £20m to tempt Coventry to sell him, but it remains to be seen whether or not that would be the case next January.
Why Leeds should sign Haji Wright
Farke should push for Leeds to press ahead with a deal for the USMNT centre-forward when the January transfer window opens for business at the start of next year, because he could be an upgrade on Calvert-Lewin.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin
As aforementioned, the current Whites number nine has not done enough in front of goal in the Premier League to be deemed a reliable marksman for the German head coach, which may be why Wright has emerged as a possible target.
The Coventry star is unproven in the Premier League, having never played in the division, but his form in the Championship suggests that he has the potential to make the step up and excel at Elland Road.
Wright has racked up eight goals in ten starts in the second tier so far this season for Frank Lampard's side, per Sofascore, after a return of 12 goals in 21 starts in the division in the 2024/25 campaign.
25/26 season Calvert-Lewin (Premier League) Haji Wright (Championship)
Appearances 7 11
xG 1.77 7.49
Goals 1 8
Big chances missed 5 6
Conversion rate 7% 29%
Minutes per goal 534 101
Duel success rate 38% 44%
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, the American centre-forward has scored eight times as many goals as Calvert-Lewin at league level, with a far superior conversion rate.
At his current performance level, Calvert-Lewin would miss 40 'big chances' to hit the eight-goal mark that Wright has reached this season, with just six 'big chances' missed for Coventry, albeit at a lower level.
Leeds United manager Daniel Farke arrives before the match
The Sky Blues striker, who was described as a "big, big winner" by former USA international Alexi Lalas, has shown that he can finish chances at an impressive rate, outperforming his xG in the Championship in the 2024/25 and 2025/26 campaigns.
Meanwhile, Calvert-Lewin is currently underperforming against his xG for the tenth Premier League season running, which suggests that Leeds cannot expect his fortunes to change in front of goal.
This is why Farke should be pushing for the club to strike a deal to sign Wright in the January transfer window, as his impressive finishing skills could make him an upgrade on the Englishman at Elland Road.