Leeds United meet Everton in the first game of the 2025/26 season as they search for their first home Premier League win over the Toffees since 2001.
The term “doing a Leeds” has its own Wikipedia page and refers to the club’s spectacular implosion as they went from the Premier League to League One in a few short years.
Daniel Farke can become the first Leeds manager to secure a home Premier League win in their opening game against Everton, with doubts over the fitness of Jayden Bogle casting a shadow over their preparations.
Few leaving Elland Road in December 2001, myself included, could have imagined that Leeds would have to wait a quarter of a century for their next home win against Everton.
However, in hindsight, that game represents the beginning of the end of the golden era at Leeds, which took them into title contention and to the Champions League semi-finals.
Leeds United’s last home win over Everton began a spectacular fall from grace
Leeds came into their game against Everton riding high in the Premier League table and looking like serious contenders for the title. Before the game, O’Leary’s side sat fourth in the table, four points behind Newcastle United and preparing to play their game in hand.
The side that O’Leary named that day represented the peak of the Ridsdale era’s excess, with Robbie Fowler leading the line and Seth Johnson in the heart of midfield.
Leeds raced into an early lead thanks to a 19th-minute Mark Viduka goal, and with it, focus turned to matters off the field. The exiled Lee Bowyer and Jonathan Woodgate were sitting in the stands, having learned the outcome of their protracted trial just weeks before.
Bowyer had been transfer-listed after refusing to accept a fine for his role in the incident, but received the overwhelming backing from the Leeds crowd. Viduka and his Leeds teammates showed their support towards Bowyer with their celebration of the first goal, before a Fowler brace handed Leeds a 3-0 lead.
Having taken a 3-0 lead, Leeds took their foot off the gas and Everton fought back to 3-2, nearly pinching an equaliser with attention in the ground focused on Bowyer. Fans unfurled a banner stating “Lose Bowyer, lose the title – it’s your choice” as Leeds held on for a win.
All of this was conducted against the backdrop of the release of O’Leary’s controversial and ill-advised book, “Leeds United on Trial,” which included a chapter about the Bowyer and Woodgate trial. Despite the win, Leeds’ golden era soon fell apart at the seams.
The 2001/02 Premier League season ended in disaster for Leeds
Having lost one game prior to the game against Everton, Leeds’ season came off the rails as the spirit in the dressing room was shattered, before the financial mismanagement under Ridsdale caught up with the club.
After Leeds conceded two late goals in a draw against Leicester and the win over Everton, O’Leary’s side fell to a damaging 4-3 home defeat against Newcastle on 22nd December.
Leeds suffered six more defeats in the second half of the season as they eventually missed out on the Champions League before O’Leary left with the club on the brink of financial collapse.
24 years on, Farke and his side have the chance to finally claim a home win against Everton and consign a strange and, in hindsight, damaging night in the club’s history to the past.
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