The pressure on Daniel Farke ahead of Leeds United’s clash against Chelsea is huge. Defeat to Chelsea on Wednesday night will almost certainly see Farke heading for the Elland Road sack.
It emerged this week that the 49ers want a result against either Liverpool or Chelsea. Failure to do so and Farke will be sacked. Perhaps harsh, given his entire Leeds tenure is being based on two tough fixtures.
Prediction time for Leeds United v Chelsea
But defeats to Burnley, Fulham, Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa have put Farke in this position. Leeds are firmly planted in the bottom three; two losses will see Leeds lose grip of the point-a-game average.
There is some hope. Leeds’ second-half display against Man City was excellent. It showed Farke could be proactive, that he could change formation, and he showed tactical nous to outsmart City’s Pep Guardiola.
But focus switches to Chelsea and if Farke is going to get a result against Enzo Maresca’s side, he will need Leeds’ best performance of the season. He will also need something he’s never managed to do.
Daniel Farke’s record in six career matches against Chelsea
As a manager, Farke has faced Chelsea on six occasions. Five times with Norwich City, only once with Leeds. The latter came in a 3-2 FA Cup defeat during 2023-24, with Mateo Joseph scoring a Leeds brace.
Farke’s record against Chelsea is dismal. Five defeats, one draw, and that draw came in his first-ever game against the west London side in the third round of the FA Cup. A 0-0 draw between Norwich and Chelsea.
If Farke is to get a result against Chelsea, he will have to do something he’s never managed to do. That is, avoiding a league defeat. In all three league games he’s faced Chelsea, Farke has suffered a defeat.
That includes a 7-0 hammering by Chelsea in 2021-22, not long before he was eventually sacked by the Canaries. Fans will be pleading with the German to use the 3-5-2 system that worked against Man City.
Daniel Farke’s dismal record against Chelsea 😐
Daniel Farke’s record against Chelsea:
- 6th January, 2018 – Norwich 0-0 Chelsea (FA Cup third round)
- 17th January, 2018 – Chelsea 6-4 Norwich (FA Cup third round)
- 24th August, 2019 – Norwich 2-3 Chelsea (Premier League)
- 14th July, 2020 – Chelsea 1-0 Norwich (Premier League)
- 23rd October, 2020 – Chelsea 7-0 Norwich (Premier League)
- 28th February, 2024 – Chelsea 3-2 Leeds (FA Cup fifth round)
The one bit of hope Daniel Farke has ahead of Chelsea clash
While Farke may have lost five of his six games against Chelsea in all competitions, his record against Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca is much more encouraging for those of a Leeds persuasion – and Farke.
Farke and Maresca have shared a touchline on two occasions, both coming in the 2023-24 season with both Leeds and Leicester pushing for Championship promotion. Farke’s Leeds did the double over them.
But this is a different animal on Wednesday night. Farke is tasked with getting a result against a side that stopped Arsenal with 10 men, the current Conference League and Club World Cup champions.
At least, there is a sense of unpredictability. Maresca is unsure what formation Farke will play going into Wednesday’s clash and Farke could take advantage. If he wants to keep fans onside, it will be a 3-5-2.
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