Sunday afternoon sees Leeds United take to the pitch for the 16th time in the Premier League this season, as the Whites look to end their London hoodoo against Brentford.
The last time Leeds won a Premier League game in London was almost four years ago. A Jack Harrison hat-trick against West Ham that resulted in a 3-2 win back in January 2022, under legend Marcelo Bielsa.
Sunday is an intriguing encounter between a Brentford side expected to be in a relegation battle, yet it started superbly. However, the last few games have seen Keith Andrews’ side slip, losing four of six.
Daniel Farke’s job is safe for now, can he get a result against Brentford? 🔮
Leeds come into the game having suffered a similar run, losing six of seven, only to flip that on its head in the last two outings. A win against Chelsea and a draw against Liverpool means Leeds are in form.
Sunday sees the battle of two modern-day rivals, having fought for promotion often enough, songs sung about Thomas Frank and more. But interestingly, there is a separate rivalry between Leeds and Andrews.
Why is there animosity between Leeds fans and Andrews?
Leeds fans don’t like Andrews. It comes after Andrews spent most of his time as a pundit covering football in the Championship on Sky Sports, and often came out against Leeds during his analysis.
It got to the point where fans began to notice, but Andrews’ comments on Pontus Jansson in 2019 took it to a new level. He said, as per HITC: “Sometimes I watch him and I think, ‘Yeah, you are the real deal.
“‘You could play in the Premier League in terms of your physicality’. There’s no doubt. He is a cult hero at this club, and a large section of the fans love him. But statistically, they are a better team without him in it.
“I look at him at times, and he doesn’t play with another centre-half partner. He plays as a long defender wanting to go and do his own things, and at times, I think, he costs his side,” Andrews said on Jansson.
A month later, after Jansson scored in a 2-1 win over Swansea, Leeds addressed Andrews with a cheeky post on social media. Since then, there has always been a rivalry and now, Leeds face him as a manager.
Remember Leeds United’s message to Keith Andrews in 2019? 😂
How will Leeds United line-up against Brentford on Sunday?
We are 24 hours away from Farke’s pre-match press conference, but the chances are that Leeds will still be without Dan James and Sean Longstaff, with the duo picking up hamstring and calf injuries.
Then, there is Lukas Nmecha. The Germany international has been excellent in the last few weeks, but was missing against Liverpool due to a minor muscle issue. He was a late call and now, will surely be available.
Which changes should Daniel Farke make for Brentford? 📝
Ao Tanaka has got to start, surely!
Ao Tanaka cannot be ignored and surely, the Japan star comes in. Leeds are much more effective with Nmecha partnering Dominic Calvert-Lewin. Two possible changes then – Tanaka and Nmecha come in.
Ilia Gruev and Okafor are removed from the XI. This is, of course, if Farke sticks with the 3-5-2 system that he started against Chelsea and Liverpool. Farke reverted to 4-2-3-1 in the second half against Liverpool.
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