A look at some key gameweeks for Leeds United following confirmation of their 2026/27 Premier League fixture schedule.
Leeds United can start looking ahead to their 2026/27 Premier League season following confirmation of their fixture schedule. The Whites kick things off at Nottingham Forest on the weekend of August 22/23, with Brentford the first visitors to Elland Road a week later.
While each supporter will have their own fixture to look out for, some carry more weight than others among the fanbase as a whole. Boxing Day is always a big one for match-going regulars while a lot of eyes will be searching for Manchester United.
Below, the YEP takes a look at five key fixtures worth circling in your diaries...
October 17 - Manchester United (H)
Brenden Aaronson scored in a 1-1 draw the last time Manchester United came to Elland Road.placeholder image
Brenden Aaronson scored in a 1-1 draw the last time Manchester United came to Elland Road. | Getty Images
Leeds had to wait until the second-half of last season to face old rivals Manchester United due to a quirk of the fixture schedule. Daniel Farke’s side instead faced Liverpool home and away before hosting Ruben Amorim’s side at Elland Road in gameweek 20 on January 4, drawing 1-1.
There will be no such wait next season, with Manchester United due in West Yorkshire on Saturday October 17, which is game number seven. Leeds will be desperate to get one over on their rivals, this time in front of a packed out Elland Road, having recorded a historic Old Trafford victory in April.
December 26 - Aston Villa (A)
There was only one Premier League game on Boxing Day last season with Leeds’ festive trip to Sunderland - a 1-1 stalemate - pushed back to December 28. This year, Farke’s side have been pencilled in for a post-Christmas trip to Aston Villa, where they also drew 1-1 back in February.
Leeds fans will have fond memories of a December trip to the Midlands, having come from 2-0 down to beat Villa 3-2 in 2018 under Marcelo Bielsa, with Kemar Roofe’s late winner causing chaos in the away end. The Whites should also have a good feel for the positions they’ll be fighting for by that point.
December 30 - Hull City (A)
It’s quickfire back-to-back trips for Leeds with their Boxing Day game at Villa followed by a midweek trip to Hull City. Farke’s side were the only Yorkshire-based team in the Premier League last season and that December trip to the MKM Stadium represents their first top-flight local derby since beating Sheffield United 2-1 in April 2021.
It will also mark the halfway point of the season by which point Leeds will have played all 19 rivals, with a better understanding of where they’ll lie in the table. A couple of days later, the January transfer window will open allowing Farke’s squad to be strengthened if Elland Road chiefs see fit.
May 15 - Manchester United (A)
Leeds had to wait 45 years to enjoy a top-flight win at Old Trafford and boy did they enjoy it. Noah Okafor’s brace earned him a place in Whites folklore and a brilliant chant to boot, with the three points from that April win going a long way to mathematically securing Premier League survival.
Read More
Next season’s trip across the Pennines will hopefully mean less in the battle to survive, with Leeds already away from trouble in their third-to-last game. Regardless, it will still mean everything to fans hoping get one over their fierce rivals in their own backyard again..
May 30 - Crystal Palace (A)
Another game Leeds fans will hope has little bearing on Premier League survival - but perhaps something more positive will still be up for grabs. Sunderland secured Europa League football on the final day of last season and with things so tight in mid-table, there will be ambitions around Elland Road to climb the table.
Leeds were six points short of Europa Conference League qualifiers Brighton last season They could feasibly head to Crystal Palace on the final weekend with a chance of Europe - they might even be fighting their hosts for a spot, and wouldn’t that make for an exciting finish.
Continue Reading