At least two players are anticipated to make their first appearances for Leeds United today
Jean-Matteo Bahoya and Melvin Bard were on the bench vs Brighton but didn't come on
Jean-Matteo Bahoya and Melvin Bard were on the bench vs Brighton but didn't come on(Image: Luke Walker/Getty Images)
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Should Leeds United beat Chelsea tonight, they will have reached new League Cup heights under Daniel Farke.
The German has only won two previous other fixtures in the competition while Leeds boss; a 2-1 win over Shrewsbury Town in 2023 and the 2-0 triumph at Nottingham Forest in the last round of this year’s competition. He has never reached the fourth round with Leeds.
While the task is tough, Farke will be keen to keep his unbeaten start going. Leeds have yet to lose in four matches this campaign and have lost just once since their FA Cup semi-final defeat to Chelsea at Wembley in April.
Momentum is key at any stage of the season and Farke will want this to roll on; preferably with a win but even a spirited and narrow defeat can have the same effect.
Admittedly, there is a question of how much momentum will be sustained within a team of rotated with different personnel anyway. But squad confidence is nevertheless important.
Potential debuts
Melvin Bard
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Farke has outlined there will be more of a swap-around than is usually the case for a league game and therefore, some debuts could be on the horizon.
His comments in yesterday’s press conference infer that Michael Zetterer could well be handed his first start as goalkeeper.
But perhaps most fans are more excited about the two deadline day arrivals. Melvin Bard seems the most likely out of the pair to begin the game, with Gabriel Gudmundsson needing a rest after playing 90 minutes upon his return from injury against Brighton.
Jean-Matteo Bahoya has not played this season, having been left on the bench in Eintracht Frankfurt’s first two games before his switch to Leeds. So a start for him seems less likely but he could well come on from the bench.
Combatting Chelsea’s fast starts
Chelsea became the first ever team to score inside the first five minutes in each of their first three Premier League matches during Sunday’s 2-1 defeat to Arsenal. So they like a fast start.
Leeds will be aware of this and the reality is that the longer Leeds can keep Chelsea out, the higher their chances of pinching a win become.
United have only conceded twice in their first four games and so could pose a stern barricade for Chelsea’s rotated players.
Yet even if they do go behind, Leeds can also take confidence from last season, when they came from two goals down to draw 2-2 at Stamford Bridge. But then, this is a very different Chelsea side with a new manager in Xabi Alonso.
Farke himself drew and lost to Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen side during the 2022/23 season. So a win would mark another personal milestone.
Harry Wilson response
Wilson’s four appearances is far-too-small a sample size to make any casting verdicts. But even Farke has admitted he is not 100% there yet when it comes to adapting to the team’s tactics.
Indeed, he has left him on the bench for the past two games and could do so for a third. However, it seems likely he does get some minutes in whatever capacity.
Wilson has yet to hit his stride and has a personal xG of just 0.1 and his expected assists ratio stands at 0.07. Of course, he has only enjoyed 62 minutes over the past two games and it is harder for a player to make an impact in such a short space of time.
But he will hope he can make something happen with whatever he is given at Stamford Bridge to brush over any lingering chatter.
It is hardly fair to critique him overboard but eyes are now trained on him to see how fast he can integrate himself.
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