Daniel Farke rotated his Leeds United squad with a clear view to the weekend, as he rested Dominic Calvert-Lewin against Liverpool.
The Whites entered 2026 with plenty of optimism that we can mount a successful push for survival. January could be crucial both in results and what happens in the transfer market.
Leeds, as has been well documented, won’t have much money to play around with. But, what they do have available, needs to be used to fresh additions.
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Liverpool 0-0 Leeds United – Daniel Farke rotation pays off in resolute draw
Not many would have fancied United to get a draw from Liverpool as well as a clean sheet on New Year’s Day. That is especially the case when the lineups were confirmed and there was no Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Noah Okafor, Jayden Bogle or Joe Rodon starting for us.
Farke’s starting XI clearly had the fixture congestion and Sunday’s home clash with Man United in mind, as he rested key players. As a result, there was an opportunity for Lukas Nmecha to get back into the swing of things following his recent run of form and subsequent hamstring problem.
Leeds United’s Lukas Nmecha in action with Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk (REUTERS/Phil Noble)
Unsurprisingly, as Leeds held much less possession, the lone striker toiled up front against two imposing centre-backs.
|Lukas Nmecha vs Liverpool|
|---|---|
|Minutes played|70|
|Touches|24|
|Shots (on target)|0 (0)|
|Pass success|53% (9/17)|
|Ground duels won|2/3|
|Aerial duels won|2/7|
After the German’s race was run, Dominic Calvert-Lewin was introduced from the 70th minute. While chances and involvement on the ball remained limited, Leeds’ top scorer thought he’d snatched a winner when he stabbed in from a Sebastiaan Bornauw pass, only to be flagged just offside.
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Nmecha definitely offers a lot for Leeds as part of a strike partnership with Calvert-Lewin. However, the onus at Liverpool was on him to provide what Calvert-Lewin usually does.
What transpired was a noticeable decline in Leeds’ ability to get up the pitch by playing direct. Yes, it’s not straightforward against one of the best centre-backs in Premier League history, but a DCL-less Leeds looked much less effective in rattling the opposition backline.
Leeds United’s Dominic Calvert-Lewin celebrates scoring a goal that was later disallowed (REUTERS/Phil Noble)
To me, it makes it fairly pertinent what has to happen this month. A striker is virtually a non-negotiable during the January transfer window, and the profile to me now becomes clearer.
I believe that in order to find top-flight consistency, we probably need a forward that can cover Calvert-Lewin’s role to a similar degree. Of course, that’s so tough in January. But, if Leeds want to avoid having a drop-off whenever he’s not on the pitch, that’s a must.
Nmecha’s role is different, and he plays much better when he’s feeding off Calvert-Lewin being a target man. So, if we have an alternative that can relieve us somewhat of our reliance on the number nine, we might not face a dip in performances, should Calvert-Lewin face any fitness problems.
Read more: Leeds United’s relegation rivals lose star player to ACL surgery.