Daniel Farke praised Leeds United’s resilience after watching his side battle back from two goals down to earn a 2-2 draw at Chelsea.
The Whites looked set for a long night at Stamford Bridge when Joao Pedro’s first-half strike and Cole Palmer’s penalty put the hosts firmly in control. But Leeds refused to fold. Lukas Nmecha converted from the spot after Jayden Bogle was brought down by Moises Caicedo, before Noah Okafor tapped in the equaliser six minutes later following more relentless work from Bogle.
Chelsea piled on late pressure – Joao Pedro rattled the bar and Palmer somehow missed an open net from close range – but Leeds held firm to secure a point that lifted them above Spurs and kept a six-point cushion over 18th-placed West Ham United.
“Proper night of football”
Farke was quick to highlight the magnitude of the result, particularly given the context.
“Proper night of football,” he said. “Great night for everyone involved with Leeds United. I’m very proud of my players and just have compliments for them.
“Chelsea in red hot form, just wins in the Premier League here and just wins in the Champions League. We have to come here as a newly promoted side, several key players out, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Anton Stach, Pascal Struijk, the backbone of the team. Some players’ first starts after injury.
“*The quality Chelsea has, if you go 2-0 down it can be a long night but we have this never-say-die attitude. We have this belief we can always come back.*”
Leeds were second best for long spells, and Farke admitted aspects of their performance contributed to Chelsea’s advantage.
“Very difficult but the head had to win over the heart”
He described the concession of the second goal as “self-inflicted” and questioned the decision-making that led to the penalty, even if he felt it was a soft award. Yet for all Chelsea’s dominance and late chances, Farke believed the point was earned through sheer mentality.
Okafor’s impact off the bench - following his goal against Nottingham Forest - again underlined his importance. But Farke explained why the forward was left out of the starting XI.
“*Very difficult but the head had to win over the heart,*” he said.
“Noah due to his physical attributes he needs a bit longer to recover. We were expecting our wingers would have to work a lot against the ball and with all due respect to him he’s not world class perhaps against the ball.
“*The plan was to keep the game tight and to change our base formation a bit during the game and bring more offensive players into the second half. It was not the plan to be 2-0 down but nevertheless the gameplan was in the last 20, 30 minutes to win the points or even win the game. All credit to my players for winning a priceless point.*”
For a side missing key figures and staring down a comfortable Chelsea victory, Leeds’ response spoke volumes. It may not have been perfect, and it certainly wasn’t without fortune, but the fight and belief Farke referenced were evident throughout.
Next up for the Whites is an FA Cup fourth-round tie away at Birmingham City - but after a night like this in west London, confidence will not be in short supply.