- Founded 1919
- Stadium Elland Road
- Manager Daniel Farke
- Competition Premier League 2026-27
- Goals 7
- Goals Conceded 3
- Yellow Cards 7
- Total Red Cards
Leeds Squawka Score ratings 2026/27
Leeds are the unbeaten story of the opening month. Daniel Farke’s side go into the international break fifth, with two wins and three draws from five, having won 1-0 at Nottingham Forest, drawn with Brentford and at Brighton, thrashed Newcastle 4-1 and held Crystal Palace to a goalless draw. Three goals conceded in five is the foundation. Below, we take a look at Leeds’ most-used XI so far and how each player has performed, based on the Squawka Score rating system.
The Squawka Score is a metric developed to assess a player’s performance relative to other players in the same position. It is shown as a percentage, and it is worth knowing that 66% is average rather than 50% – a 70% is a good afternoon and 85% or above marks out one of the best players on the pitch. Each score is calculated from a range of per-90-minute statistics, taking in the obvious numbers such as goals and assists alongside some more obscure ones that are far more position-specific. A player’s season figure is simply the average of his match ratings.
GK: James Trafford – 83% – The highest Squawka Score of any regular starter in the Premier League this season, and thoroughly earned. Twenty saves, three goals conceded and two clean sheets from five full games, with five completed sweeper actions and 31 progressive passes out from the back. His 82% at Forest set the tone on the opening weekend.
RWB: Jayden Bogle – 61% – A goal and 1.27 xG from wing-back is a healthy attacking return, and he has won 21 duels. The rating is held down by the defensive side: four occasions dribbled past, six fouls and two yellow cards across his five starts.
RCB: James Justin – 66% – The busiest defender in the back three on the ball-winning numbers, with 33 duels won, nine tackles won, eight interceptions and 11 aerials. He has also chipped in an assist and 0.66 xA. Five occasions beaten one-on-one is the one number to watch.
CB: Nico Elvedi – 64% – Three starts in the middle of the three, with 18 clearances and five blocked shots. The two clear-cut chances created are an unusual return for a central defender and speak to how comfortable Leeds have been building from deep.
LCB: Tarik Muharemović – 70% – Every minute played and an extraordinary defensive volume: 37 clearances, 29 duels won, 16 aerials and 11 interceptions, all club-leading figures, plus five blocked shots and an assist. The most important defender in the league’s meanest back line so far.
LWB: Gabriel Gudmundsson – 60% – Three starts and a tidy 19 duels won to 11 lost, with three tackles won and three interceptions. There is almost nothing going forward yet – no shots and one chance created – which is what keeps him below the average.
RCM: Anton Stach – 66% – Leeds’ set-piece man and their busiest midfielder. A goal, six chances created, 31 passes into the penalty area, 36 duels won and 11 interceptions. Ten fouls is the most in the squad and the main drag on an otherwise excellent all-round return.
CM: Ethan Ampadu – 67% – The captain has played every minute and leads the club for passes into the penalty area with 34 and xA with 0.93. Add 11 interceptions, six tackles won and 25 progressive passes and it is a controlled, unfussy start from the middle of the five.
LCM: Ao Tanaka – 65% – Three starts, an assist and 0.78 xA, with 15 duels won to seven lost. The 0.70 xG from five shots suggests he is arriving in the box at the right moments; one big chance missed is the flip side.
RST: Dominic Calvert-Lewin – 67% – Three goals from 11 shots and 2.46 xG, and a quite remarkable 24 aerial duels won, the most of any player at the club by a distance. Four big chances missed and three yellow cards are the blemishes, but he has led the line exactly as Farke would want.
LST: Noah Okafor – 61% – A goal and 12 completed take-ons from four starts, the most in the side, so the willingness to run at defenders is there. Five shots for 0.19 xG points to a forward shooting from the wrong places rather than getting into the box.
Worth a mention: Jaka Bijol has rated at 74% across two appearances, the second-best figure at the club.
Leeds set-piece specialists:
- Penalties: Dominic Calvert-Lewin
- Free-kicks: Anton Stach
- Corners: Anton Stach, Harry Wilson
Stach has taken 17 of Leeds’ corners to Harry Wilson’s five, and all four of their direct free-kicks. Leeds have not been awarded a penalty this season, so Calvert-Lewin’s status as the taker is yet to be tested.
Leeds FAQs
How have Leeds started the 2026/27 season?
Unbeaten. Leeds are fifth on nine points from five games, with two wins and three draws, and have conceded only three goals – the joint-best defensive record in the division.
Who is Leeds’ best player this season?
Goalkeeper James Trafford, whose 83% is the highest Squawka Score of any regular starter in the Premier League. Tarik Muharemović is next at the club on 70%.
What formation do Leeds play?
Farke has settled on a 3-5-2, using it in three of the first five games after starting the season in a 3-4-2-1.
Where did Leeds finish in the 2025/26 Premier League season?
Leeds finished 14th on 47 points.
Who is the Leeds manager?
Daniel Farke is the Leeds manager, replacing Javi Gracia in 2023.
Who is the current Leeds captain?
Ethan Ampadu is Leeds’ current captain.
Are Leeds playing in Europe in 2026/27?
No. Leeds are not in European competition this season.