Leeds United will make their return to Premier League action with a home clash against Everton at Elland Road on Monday night.
Everton condemned Leeds to relegation on the final day of the 2022-23 season, but the Whites are back at the top table after winning the Championship title last term.
Match preview
After two years away, Leeds are back in the Premier League after a 100-point Championship season in 2024-25 saw them take the title ahead of Burnley.
Daniel Farke’s men lost just one of their final 28 matches last season, but this will be a huge step up, shown by the fact Leeds took just two points from a possible 27 before being relegated in 2022-23.
The fact that the last two Premier League campaigns have seen all three promoted clubs suffer instant relegation means Leeds start as the favourites to go down along with Burnley and Sunderland, but the three have all spent a fair amount in attempts to bridge the gap.
Leeds’ results in preseason suggest they could be competitive, drawing with Manchester United, Villarreal and AC Milan, but those scorelines, as is often the case with friendlies, should be taken with a pinch of salt.
Everton represent a tricky test on the opening weekend, as Leeds have run into plenty of difficulties against them in recent meetings, winning none of the previous five.
A win behind closed doors at Goodison Park in 2020 is Leeds’ only against Everton in 11 league meetings, meaning the last five here at Elland Road have failed to yield a single win.
There is no club in the top flight this season that Everton have a longer ongoing unbeaten run away from home against, but they must rectify slow recent starts if they want that to continue here.
Iliman Ndiaye scores and celebrates for Everton on May 18, 2025
The Toffees have lost their opening fixture in each of the last three seasons, and even when facing newly-promoted clubs, they often struggle.
In the 18 previous occasions where Everton have begun their league season against a newly-promoted club, they have only won twice, and on the two occasions when that has been against Leeds, they lost both.
There is growing excitement around their first competitive match at the new Hill Dickinson Stadium against Brighton & Hove Albion next weekend, before Mansfield Town make the trip to Merseyside a few days later in the EFL Cup, so a strong start on the road will be welcome.
Moyes has been granted the new signings he has been asking for all summer, but he will want even more additions before those matches, with Everton still short in some areas, notably in defence.
A winless preseason presents some concerns, as Everton lost four of their six friendlies, including against Roma last weekend, but they did take 31 points from their final 18 Premier League games of last season; form which would have had them in European contention when taken in isolation.
Leeds United Preseason form
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Everton Preseason form:
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Team News
Everton's Jarrad Branthwaite celebrates on April 12, 2025
All eyes will be fixated on whether Dominic Calvert-Lewin makes the squad for Leeds, as his debut could come against the club he left under a cloud on a free transfer this summer.
Leeds will be without a trio of defenders for this league opener, as Jayden Bogle (hip) and Sebastiaan Bornauw (calf) are struggling with injury, and new signing Jaka Bijol is suspended after being sent off on the final day of last season for Udinese.
The home crowd could see a number of debutants in this one, with goalkeeper Lucas Perri likely to dislodge Illan Meslier, while Gabriel Gudmundsson, Sean Longstaff and Anton Stach may all get the nod as well.
Everton were dealt a huge blow in midweek when it was revealed that Jarrad Branthwaite sustained a hamstring injury in training that will sideline him for at least a month, meaning Michael Keane is set to come into the starting XI.
Left-back Vitalii Mykolenko was forced off inside 10 minutes against Roma last week clutching his groin, but it appears the Ukrainian will be fit to start after being assessed in recent days.
There is also the potential for a number of competitive debuts in the Everton side, with Thierno Barry and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall pushing for a start, while many fans and neutrals alike will be keen to see if and where Jack Grealish is deployed, should Moyes include him from the start.
Leeds United possible starting lineup:
Lucas Perri; Byram, Rodon, Struijk, Gudmundsson; Tanaka, Ampadu, Stach; James, Piroe, Gnonto
Everton possible starting lineup:
Pickford; O’Brien, Tarkowski, Keane, Mykolenko; Gueye, Garner, Dewsbury-Hall; Ndiaye, Beto, Grealish
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We say: Leeds United 1-1 Everton
Without Branthwaite, Everton are much weaker defensively, and that will give Leeds an opportunity in front of a raucous Elland Road that should give the hosts a big advantage.
Both clubs have added a number of new faces to their squad this summer, and it could take a little while for them all to settle in, and that could be evident in a close affair here.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
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