Daniel Farke worked wonders to keep Leeds United in the Premier League last season.
A run of three wins in the opening 13 league matches suggested that the Whites were destined to drop straight back into the Championship. The German was under huge pressure at Elland Road, with some calling for the former Norwich City boss to be dismissed.
In this article, we’ll cover:
Farke, though, rode out the storm. Crucially, he tinkered with his tactics to make Leeds more robust. Gone was the 4-3-3 setup. In came a three-man backline. They went more direct to maximise Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s physicality. It was something of a back-to-basics approach that ultimately helped Leeds to safety.
Indeed, they finished the campaign in 14th, eight points clear of danger. Nevertheless, they could ill-afford to rest on their laurels. Leeds may have beaten the drop, yet they still shipped the fifth most goals (56) in the division. There were sweeping changes at the back.
New signings are thriving
Goalkeepers Lucas Perri, Karl Darlow and Illan Meslier all departed. Defenders Sebastiaan Bornauw, Maximilian Wober and Pascal Struijk were all allowed to leave, though Wober had spent a substantial chunk of his final season on the Leeds books out a loan. Even so, such mass upheaval at the back could have severely impacted Leeds.
They had cash to spend owing to their top-flight safety, and they maximised the financial boost to strengthen accordingly. In came James Trafford as the club-record signing, the England star arriving from Manchester City. Tarik Muharemovic joined from Sassuolo. Nico Elvedi, Michael Zetterer and Melvin Bard moved to Yorkshire from Gladbach, Eintracht Frankfurt and Nice, respectively, to swell the ranks.
It’s the high-profile signings of, Trafford, Muharemovic and Elvedi that have really caught the eye.
Trafford shining between the sticks
Leeds did take something of a gamble on Trafford. Having returned to Manchester City last summer, Trafford was expected to be first-choice frontman for the Cityzens. However, he only made four league outings, losing his starting spot to Gianluigi Donnarumma following his arrival from Paris Saint-germain.
Even then, Trafford hardly covered himself in glory, at least in the league. In truth, he should have been sent off in the 2-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur last August. What’s more, his first full Premier League campaign with Burnley was nothing short of disastrous.
That said, the talent was there for all to see. Trafford just needed some stability to really start to grow as a goalkeeper. And at Leeds, he is doing just that. An 85.7% save success rate is the best in the Premier League this season. Three clean sheets is the joint-fourth most. 28 saves ranks second. Only Arsenal (5) have conceded fewer goals than Farke’s side (6). Trafford’s Squawka Score of 7.2 is the best of all Premier League goalkeepers this season.
There is more to Trafford’s game than just shotstopping. The 24-year-old’s distribution affords Farke an additional outlet from the back. Leeds are able to deal with the opposition press far easier than they did last season. Trafford is averaging 41.1 passes per 90 and a 64.1% pass accuracy.
Both hauls are better than Perri (34.9 and 53.3%) and Darlow (38.5 and 58.2%). As such, their possession return has increased marginally from 45.6% to 47.1%. Leeds are able to dominate games to a better standard with Trafford between the sticks.
Muharemovic hit the ground running
In Muharemovic, they have another commendable distributor, and one that has filled the void by Struijk’s exit. While the Dutchman may have his critics, Struijk is a handy operator in possession, meaning there was big boots to fill on the left side of Leeds’ three-man backline when he moved to Brighton & Hove Albion.
The Bosnia and Herzegovina international has exceeded expectations in a Leeds shirt, and then some. 56.1 passes per 90 is more than any other Leeds player. Fellow new arrival Elvedi ranks second here, with 52.7. The latter’s pass accuracy of 90.1% is better than any teammate. Muharemovic places third for this metric, with 85.7%.
Muharemovic, meanwhile, has shown the requisite knack for being in the right place at the right time to alleviate pressure on the Leeds goal. Only Coventry City’s Bobby Thomas (63) has made more clearances than the 23-year-old (62) in the 2026/27 Premier League campaign.
Elvedi brings that Bundesliga experience to the backline, while Jakob Bijol has become a mainstay in the side since establishing himself as a first-team regular last season. The centre-back trio have forged a tight-knit defensive unit, providing relevant protection for Trafford.
While some new signings take time to get up to speed, Leeds’ defensive additions have hit the ground running. The results have taken a hit but they remain incredibly compact and difficult to better. Proof, then, that the best defence is, actually, a good defence.