It was a frightful trip to the south coast that has left Leeds United licking new wounds
Isaac Johnson Leeds United reporter
07:00, 02 Nov 2025
Joe Rodon's emotion captured the mood of the day
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Joe Rodon's emotion captured the mood of the day(Image: Richard Pelham/Getty Images)
Leeds United travelled back up the country with their tails between their legs after a horrid showing in Brighton. The scoreline says 3-0 but it could have been more - though that’s not nearly the half of it.
Leeds barely laid a glove on the Seagulls, who were spying their fair share from the off. United gave them a helping hand. Misplaced passes, brittle tackles and a lack of service to Dominic Calvert-Lewin left the away end tearing their hair out.
The visiting support were in fine voice throughout, but their team were far from on song. Whatever the opposite is, they were that. Bum notes, out of tune. Never mind the ears, it was a day for the eyes to be covered. Halloween came a day late for Leeds this year.
Midfield sliced open
Time and again, the midfield was cut through with ease. Endless passes went through the sieve and found Danny Welbeck or one of the other attackers. As it happens, no goal came via this method (more on that later) but the sight was alarming.
It was hard to understand how it kept being allowed to happen. Half-time offered a chance to reset but within seconds, the very same thing happened - only this time it was former teammate Georginio Rutter who fired in on goal.
He played an integral role in the third goal, shouldering off the retreating Ethan Ampadu to pull back for Diego Gomez to get his third. And that leads into the next point.
Same type of goals
All three goals came in the same manner. Yankuba Minteh played well for Brighton, having the in-form Gabriel Gudmundsson backtracking often. Yet the left-back was quite easily drawn out of position for the first goal. Lucas Perri came out a long way, probably too far, and Welbeck could hardly miss the pull-back.
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Gudmundsson was beaten hands up for the second, not helped by Jaka Bijol’s slow coverage. The third goal came from Jayden Bogle’s error, a clumsy touch allowing Rutter to advance. Again, it ended in a pull back and a swoop home into a ‘keeper-less goal.
Gomez, who scored the second, will not get an easier brace all season. United need to ensure that doesn’t become something that opposition teams look to exploit - because Brighton exposed that route three times in one match.
Admittedly Gudmundsson and Bogle have been brilliant for most of this season. It was an off day for both men. But hopefully it was just that and not a loophole found.
Goalless trips away
Aside from Wolves, Leeds have failed to score away from home. Of course, one trip was to Arsenal. A goalless day there can be forgiven. But no goals against Fulham, Burnley and Brighton is not an encouraging sign.
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One stark reality has been the lack of service Dominic Calvert-Lewin was offered in all three. Against Fulham he had a header on goal, versus Burnley he had an ambitious over-head kick and at the AMEX, he flashed a shot wide after turning his man.
This is it in totality and the most recent two were created by his own intuition. It’s a problem. It’s also a problem that he has not scored since Wolves away. One goal in eight matches is not the goal ratio required.