What Leeds United have done in their first 15 games that eclipses their last promotion-winning campaign

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It’s a quote that the San Francisco 49ers will be more used to hearing than Leeds United, but the maxim ‘offence wins games … defence wins championships’ can often apply in football, just as it does in the NFL.

Leeds have been under the ownership of 49ers Enterprises for 15 months now and all parties will be hoping that the team will earn promotion back to the Premier League this season.

Daniel Farke’s side sit third in the Championship table during the current international break and are well-placed to launch their push on the top-two when the season resumes next weekend.

Leeds have only lost twice all season, with Farke’s modus operandi being to score first and control games, with Leeds unbeaten in their last 61 Championship matches in which they have scored first.

The key to Leeds United’s control

The key to this remarkable statistic – at least of late – has been Leeds’ defensive ability to shut down their opponent in terms of chance creation.

This is laid bare by a stat from LUFCDATA, who has totted up the total number of shots on-target Leeds have faced in the first 15 league games of their past seven campaigns.

So far this year, Leeds have conceded just 27 shots on target – by far the fewest of this stage of the season in recent years.

Position	Team	Played MP	Won W	Drawn D	Lost L	For GF	Against GA	Diff GD	Points Pts
1	SunderlandSunderland	15	9	4	2	25	11	14	31
2	Sheff UtdSheffield Utd	15	10	3	2	19	7	12	31
3	LeedsLeeds	15	8	5	2	24	9	15	29
4	BurnleyBurnley	15	7	6	2	18	6	12	27
5	West BromWest Brom	15	6	7	2	16	9	7	25

Leeds saw 41 shots on target last season, which is the next lowest, while their 2019/20 promotion-winning campaign under Marcelo Bielsa saw them concede 43 shots on target after 15 matches.

LUFCDATA adds that Leeds’ opponents have failed to notch up a since shot on-target in four of Leeds’ last six matches.

Farke’s defensive foundation

It is clear that this is one of the strengths of this Leeds team, with Farke able to rely on an extremely settled back-line.

Leeds began the season with a back four of Jayden Bogle, Joe Rodon, Pascal Struijk and Junior Firpo and Farke did not make a single defensive change until the left-back was suspended for the trip to Bristol City, Leeds’ 12th game of the season.

There have only been two other defensive changes all season, both enforced, with Bogle banned for the canter past Plymouth and Firpo beginning a fresh three-match suspension when he sat out QPR last weekend.

Firpo is statistically Leeds’ best player this season and his absence will be felt in Leeds’ next two games, but in Sam Byram they have an experienced replacement and if Leeds are able to keep their first-choice back-four injury and suspension-free for the rest of the campaign, they will be well-placed to prove the ‘defences win championships’ maxim right.