Leeds United’s policy of bringing tall and physically robust players to the Premier League will be put to the test as they face a high-flying Bournemouth side.
Daniel Farke will be looking to maintain Leeds’ impeccable home record against Bournemouth when Andoni Iraola’s side come to Elland Road.
In another timeline, Iraola could have been the Leeds manager preparing to host the Cherries, as he was one of the front-runners to replace Jesse Marsch in Leeds’ relegation season in 2022/23.
However, he elected to remain with Rayo Vallecano before moving to Bournemouth ahead of the following season. He has since assembled a competitive squad which is punching above its weight, with 10 points from five games to start the Premier League season.
Iraola’s side are bucking the recent trend in the Premier League by prioritising long balls in possession. The stats from their season to date show that they will test Leeds’ strength in the air.
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Stats show where Bournemouth will threaten Leeds United
According to the data held by FBRef, Bournemouth will provide a tough test for a Leeds side which is built to be physically robust and strong in the air.
In the five rounds of Premier League fixtures to date, Bournemouth have attempted the joint-second most long passes, defined as any pass over 30 yards, in the competition with 398. They are level with Manchester United and three behind Tottenham in first.
They also sit in the bottom five teams based on the number of attempted short passes, ranking 16th with just 792, 95 behind Leeds, who currently sit 12th.
| Bournemouth Metric | Total | PL Rank |
| Long Passes Attempted | 398 | 2nd |
| Medium Passes Attempted | 837 | 15th |
| Short Passes Attempted | 792 | 16th |
| Aerial Duels Won | 76 | 11th |
| Aerial Duels Lost | 96 | 1st |
| Touches in the defensive third | 884 | 17th |
| Touches in the attacking third | 718 | 9th |
Bournemouth also sit third for the most completed crosses into the penalty area with 13 in their five games. Leeds’ most recent opponents, Wolves, are top with 26. Leeds are at the bottom of the table by this metric, with just four.
Pressing centre-back Marcos Senesi could hold the key to stopping Iraola’s side for Leeds. Senesi has attempted the most passes of any outfield player for the Cherries, with 123 medium-length passes, defined as between 15 and 30 yards, and 89 long passes.
Leeds can also target Bournemouth in the air. The Cherries have lost the most aerial duels in the competition, with 96 lost from 172 contested. Dominic Calvert-Lewin showed the value of winning headers against Wolves, and he could replicate his success again this weekend.
Daniel Farke urges his side to compete
Speaking in his press conference ahead of the game against Bournemouth, Farke urged his side to compete physically with their opponents.
According to Farke, he relishes the aggressive nature of the Premier League and wants his players to win their duels, rather than trying to win free-kicks.
Farke said: “I don’t speak too much about being smart and getting fouls because I’m a big believer, and I don’t like diving at all.
“That’s why I love English football so much, and the Premier League should be known for allowing more physicality, and I think it’s a big advantage for us also. Like in the competition, we allow a really physical, intense league.
“I also like that there are not too many faults given, and I also don’t want to encourage my players to dive or whatever. I always speak about, come on, don’t ask a referee for help, win the duel.”
He added: “It’s a sign of our quality and also of our offensive strength that you get many fouls, but it’s still important to be someone who wants to win the duels on the pitch instead of going too much for being fouled.”
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