Credit: Imago

Richie Mills

Thu 12 March 2026 8:10, UK

Graham Smyth is hopeful Lukas Nmecha will start alongside Dominic Calvert-Lewin again for Leeds United because of the “chaos” they can cause.

Nmecha joined Leeds on a free transfer last summer after leaving Wolfsburg and so far he has proven to be an astute signing.

A total of seven goals in all competitions highlights how Leeds made the right decision in making a punt on the 27-year-old.

The Hamburg-born forward has often been behind Calvert-Lewin in the attacking pecking order, with Daniel Farke loath to play both at the same time, perhaps due to their injury record.

However, Yorkshire Evening Post reporter Smyth feels that the time is right to play the two strikers ahead of Leeds’ trip to Crystal Palace on Sunday.

Graham Smyth rejects ‘pessimistic’ Leeds outlook

Both summer signings Calvert-Lewin and Nmecha have played more than 25 games for Leeds this season but one is a starting regular and the other is not.

The England international has started 21 Premier League games and the latter is down at seven in that regard. Calvert-Lewin has 10 goals and one assist so far, compared to 10 goal contributions in all competitions.

For all of their attacking prowess, the pair have very rarely been played together. One time their link-up did work was in a 3-1 win over Chelsea on 3 December. Now, Smyth wants them back together.

He said on the Square Ball Podcast: “I also have continually wanted all season to see Nmecha and Calvert-Lewin together because of the chaos they caused against Chelsea.

“And Nmecha’s goal rate or goals and assist rate per minute is pretty incredible this season. He really has taken his chances whenever he’s come in. Ironically, he didn’t do it against Norwich City, but he did get himself an assist.

“And a very good one at that. Yeah, and he caused a lot of problems. And he just generally does cause a lot of problems when he plays. And I know there’s this argument about, you can’t play them together in case one of them gets injured. That feels a little bit pessimistic of an outlook for me.”

Farke has often shown a safety-first approach at Leeds. If one of Nmecha or Calvert-Lewin were to get injured, that would mean Leeds may have to rely on Joel Piroe – who has scored one goal all season.

Leeds are just three points above the relegation zone and if they get sucked into the mire further still, perhaps a striker team-up is the way to go.

Lukas Nmecha not far behind Erling Haaland

As Smyth alluded to, Nmecha has been fairly lethal for Leeds this season, given the amount of game time he has actually had.

Naturally, Manchester City’s Erling Haaland is the league’s top scorer at 22, with Nmecha a long way down that list with six. But, Nmecha currently has a minute-per-goal ratio of 126 – the second best in the league behind the Norwegian (106).

Despite Nmecha looking a more physically imposing striker than Calvert-Lewin, the German’s strengths do not lie in holding the ball up and locking horns with centre-backs.

He appears to be better in broken play, bringing others into the game, and of course, showing a clinical edge in front of goal.

Together, Calvert-Lewin, who is averaging a goal every 194 minutes this season, and Nmecha can give defences one or two things to think about.

Leeds sit 15th in the table but a win for West Ham and a defeat for Farke’s team could leave them out of the bottom three on goal difference. Leeds have a good option up their sleeve. Whether they use it remains to be seen.