Leeds United top Premier League metric as intriguing stat emerges in loss vs Burnley
Leeds lost 2-0 to Burnley on Saturday to make it three games without a win in the Premier League.
Leeds fans are growing frustrated over the lack of attacking quality in their side, as pressure mounts on Daniel Farke to be sacked.
Lesley Ugochukwu and Loum Tchaouna’s goals either side of the half were enough to see off a Leeds team who were once again rueing their missed chances at Turf Moor.
However, it’s emerged that Leeds have topped a Premier League stat after the defeat, only proving that their early plans failed.
Leeds break long-standing record in loss vs Burnley
Leeds have struggled to score goals from open play this season, with the majority of their chances coming from crosses into the box.
Gabriel Gudmundsson has been vital for Leeds’ creativity, making 11 successful crosses this season, with only Sean Longstaff swinging more balls into the area (16).
The Peacocks attempted 47 crosses against Burnley, the most of any side in a single Premier League game this season, and the most Leeds have made in over five years.
| Player | Crosses attempted | Successful crosses |
| Gabriel Gudmundsson | 13 | 6 |
| Dan James | 8 | 2 |
| Sean Longstaff | 7 | 5 |
| Jack Harrison | 7 | 0 |
| Jayden Bogle | 5 | 1 |
Dominic Calvert-Lewin has been criticised for wasting chances this season, yet on Saturday, Brenden Aaronson, Lukas Nmecha, and Jayden Bogle were all guilty of missing big chances.
Leeds failed to score from open play in their first four matches, and whilst they’re creating an average of 1.4 xG per match, Farke must adapt his style of play to allow for more versatility when creating chances.
Despite dominating proceedings for much of the game, Leeds failed to make the most of the chances they did create, and they’re far too reliant on crossing the ball to players who are clearly low on confidence.
Farke’s job is beginning to look precarious, and the next few weeks could play a huge part in Leeds’ season, starting against West Ham on Friday.
Daniel Farke can’t be blamed for Leeds’ failure in front of goal
Farke was nearly sacked by Leeds in the summer, and with tough fixtures on the horizon, his reign in Yorkshire could be under threat once more.
Whilst some players are being questionably left out of his starting line-up, Farke can’t be blamed for Leeds’ poor finishing.
The Peacocks are 11th in the League when it comes to xG across all of their games, and chances missed against Burnley, Fulham, and Tottenham have all cost them crucial points in their bid to avoid relegation.
Whilst Farke must change the way Leeds play in the middle of the pitch against defensively compact teams, the brilliant numbers that Anton Stach, Longstaff, and Gundmundsson are putting up show that their key issue is the inability to finish the opportunities they create.
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