Plenty was learned at Stamford Bridge for Daniel Farke and his Leeds United players, but three things stand out from the drama against Chelsea
Patrick Austen-Hardy Senior Sports Journalist
07:00, 11 Feb 2026
Daniel Farke Manager of Leeds United smiling after the Premier League match between Chelsea and Leeds United at Stamford Bridge on February 10, 2026 in London, England.
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Daniel Farke could not stop smiling after the draw at Stamford Bridge(Image: 2026 Allstar)
At 2-0 down, it would have been easy to think the real victory for Leeds United was secured seven days previously against Nottingham Forest.
The 3-1 triumph over Sean Dyche's side was widely described as an old-fashioned six-pointer. As Cole Palmer lashed a penalty past Karl Darlow to put Chelsea 2-0 ahead at the Bridge, any Leeds fan would have been forgiven for writing the game off and adding more weight onto the result four days ago.
But not Daniel Farke's side. After living of scraps for an hour, Jayden Bogle latched onto a loose ball and was rewarded with Moises Caicedo's clumsy challenge, bringing him down in the box - never has a player been so happy to be caught so late by the Ecuadorian.
Lukas Nmecha's spot-kick shifted the tide, but more scrapping for loose balls from Bogle, somehow, allowed the ball to bobble into Noah Okafor's path, giving him the easiest - but perhaps most important - goal of his campaign so far. As Leeds celebrate a most unlikely point, Farke will have other lessons to learn - and perhaps some new ideas to consider.
Formation reality
Farke is a fan of deploying a back-three or five formation, but it caused his side frequent problems in the first half. While it does enable you to pile more bodies into the centre of the pitch, it also leaves you lacking out wide.
In the first half, James Justin and Gabriel Gudmundsson struggled with the movements of Cole Palmer and Estevao, as well as the late runs from Malo Gusto and Marc Cucurella. This forced Bogle and Brenden Aaronson back also, leaving Leeds with next to no impetus in attack and forcing Lukas Nmecha into several lone battles with the Blues' defenders.
The second Chelsea goal forced Farke into changes with Noah Okafor making way for Sebastiaan Bornauw, giving Nmecha a forward to partner with. More direct passes in behind Chelsea's full-backs forced the home side back and caused plenty of confusion, while also creating space for Bogle and Aaronson to exploit.
It was there Farke's side profited. Perhaps, it was the approach which should have been taken from the beginning.
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A new role for Jayden Bogle?
In his post-match press conference, Farke admitted he had to use Bogle in a different way to normal. While Leeds fans are so used to seeing him running in behind or linking up with James Justin, Bogle had to play in the pockets in-between Chelsea's full-backs and central defenders.
This was new territory for the versatile Leeds ace and, as Farke admitted, for him also. After the match, the German said: "We saw today he can play on the right wing, but it was also the first time he had to play in the pocket also. This decision perhaps surprised Chelsea a little bit.
"He was involved in both goals. If the game went on for longer, this ability to go forward and make things happen may have been seen a bit more."
Perhaps, this situation is one of those instances where a new and effective strategy has been stumbled upon. It remains to be seen if Farke deploys him in the same way.
Sebastiaan Bornauw
It was a difficult evening for Sebastiaan Bornauw. In the heart of the Leeds midfield, he struggled to follow the clever runs of Cole Palmer and Joao Pedro.
Whenever any of the two Chelsea stars dropped deep to get involved in the game, he never knew whether to follow them or hold his position. After getting booked in the first half, these choices became even more perilous.
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Farke hooked him just after half time in place of Noah Okafor, who would have surely started had the turnaround not been so quick. It could perhaps be put down as a simple bad day at the office for the Belgian defender.
However, when Farke watches the game back and sees how Bornauw lost Pedro for the opening goal, the German may decide to make use of the defender in a different way.