Leeds United

We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League game between Brighton and Leeds United.

Here are some of your replies:

Brighton fans

Stuart: All the stats indicated a typical Dr Brighton result. An early goal helped settle the nerves and ultimately we were never troubled. Leeds were poor and our players stepped up. Ferdi Kadioglu and Yasin Ayari were the stars. Also a big shout to the youngsters on their debuts. It's all very positive for the future.

Sarah: Fantastic game! With the exception of the 20 minute lull at the beginning and losing possession a bit too easily in midfield, we were strong and functioning as a team again. Danny Welbeck is on a brilliant roll, Diego Gomez got his first Premier League goal in style and sealed it with another corker, plus Yankuba Minteh and Mats Wieffer got assists. I'm really pleased to see Lewis Dunk doing so well again, especially after some suggested he should move over. There's a lot of life in him yet; he is a proper solid defender.

Dean: Good to see the Albion finish off a team in the bottom half of the league, as this had been a persistent problem for us. Welbeck on a free transfer from Watford has turned out to be a masterstroke.

Tim: Following from a hotel room in Turkey, it sounded like a far from perfect performance that we should've put to bed by half-time. We march on with three precious points and a spot back in the top half! If we can get Kaoru Mitoma, Jack Hinshelwood, Joel Veltman and Brajan Gruda back from injury, I think we'll be in a great place by this season's halfway point.

Leeds fans

Chris: Absolutely useless. They had no fire in their bellies. The front six were at another game. We were too slow in both movement and passing. Daniel Farke has to change his tactics for away games because we are not good enough to defend against quick attacking teams.

Kenneth: Poorest performance of the season so far, with too many players below par. Some are not good enough for Premier League football, Jayden Bogle and Dominic Calvert-Lewin to name just two. It's really coming back to bite us not buying a proven goalscorer.

Dave: Farke is living on borrowed time. The tactics and teamsheet were a disgrace. We were very poor.

Thomas: We have to be realistic and realise that it is so much harder to win games in the Premier League, especially away from home. The formation away from home is obviously not working so maybe a change would help. But, like all teams in Leeds' situation coming up from the Championship, it is a case of avoiding relegation. A long hard season in prospect.

Leeds United manager Daniel Farke has been speaking to Sky Sports about the defeat at Amex Stadium: "Brighton were the better side and deserved to win. You can talk about the 50/50 possession for both teams and about the fact we had more corner kicks, but you have to be honest and say that, out of their possession, they created more chances and were more clinical. For that, they deserved to win.

"As a team and individually, it was not our best game offensively. We weren't able to create more in an away game where we had a lot of possession. We created more corner kicks and wide area free-kicks, but the quality of the deliveries were not great.

"It happens sometimes that the attack doesn't have the best of days. It's frustrating. Sometimes it happens that the other side is just better. It was definitely not our day and we have to accept the defeat."

• Listen to Farke speak to BBC Radio Leeds

On facing Nottingham Forest next: "Each and every game delivers an opportunity. There are 38 games and we have to win one point on average each game to stay in this league.

"We have to prepare ourselves in the best possible way, so that will be what we'll try to do away at Nottingham."

Did you know?

• In just 10 Premier League games, Leeds United have already lost more games (5) than they did in the entirety of their 2024-25 Championship title-winning campaign (4 losses in 46 games). They have also shipped 57% of the total goals they did last season (30) already in 2025-26 (17).

Sam Ashoo
Final Score reporter

A lot of the talk in the build-up to Brighton-Leeds was about Georginio Rutter.

The forward was a fan favourite at Leeds before joining Brighton for £40m in January 2023 and makes no secret of his affection for his former club. In fact, he even owns a racehorse named BriLee, a nod to both Brighton and Leeds.

There was, however, no horsing around on Saturday. Rutter played the 10 role perfectly, breaking lines, dropping deep when needed and creating extra space for Danny Welbeck and Diego Gomez. His assist for Gomez's second goal capped off an excellent performance, driving into the box and offering a perfect cutback.

The Frenchman described the occasion as "special" and it was nice to see many of the 3,000 travelling Leeds fans applaud him after the game.

Pundits Alan Shearer and Ashley Williams join host Gabby Logan to bring you the action and talking points from Saturday's Premier League fixtures.

Watch on BBC iPlayer here

And listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Burnley 0-2 Arsenal

• Nottingham Forest 2-2 Manchester United

• Tottenham 0-1 Chelsea

Adwaidh Rajan
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

When Leeds United manager Daniel Farke named an unchanged starting line-up against Brighton, he would have hoped for a similar result as the one his side delivered against West Ham last week.

But the Leeds on display at the Amex on Saturday were a completely different version from the one that emerged winners against the Hammers but it was one that we have seen far too often on their away trips this season.

While Leeds have only lost once in five matches at Elland Road in the Premier League so far this season, the 3-0 defeat to Brighton were their fourth defeat in five away matches.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin led the line alongside Noah Okafor and Brenden Aaronson but the former Everton striker cut an isolated figure up front while the supporting cast also failed to make any impact.

Farke's men registered just two shots on target in five attempts - compared to Brighton's seven on target from 14 - and only generated an expected goals (xG) figure of 0.46.

Farke would want to make his team tick in away trips sooner rather than later if Leeds are to avoid a relegation scrap this season.

And a visit to the City Ground to face Nottingham Forest, who are five points behind and in the relegation zone, next Sunday would give them an immediate opportunity to make amends.

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

Have your say on Brighton's performance

What did you make of Leeds' display?

Come back on Monday for a selection of your replies

Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler has made one change to the side that suffered a 4-2 defeat at Manchester United last Saturday.

Diego Gomez returns to the starting line-up, after being used as a substitute in the past two games, as Maxim De Cuyper drops to the bench.

Brighton XI: Verbruggen, Dunk, Van Hecke, Wieffer, Rutter, Minteh, Baleba, Wellbeck, Kadioglu, Gomez, Ayari

Substitutes: Steele, Tzimas, Watson, Kostoulas, Boscagli, De Cuyper, Coppola, Knight, Oriola

Leeds United manager Daniel Farke has named an unchanged starting line-up following their 2-1 win against West Ham last weekend.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin leads the line alongside Noah Okafor and Brenden Aaronson while captain Ethan Ampadu, Ao Tanaka and Sean Longstaff make up their midfield

Leeds XI: Perri, Bogle, Gudmundsson, Ampadu, Rodon, Longstaff, Calvert-Lewin, Aaronson, Bijol, Okafor, Tanaka

Substitutes: Darlow, Struijk, James, Piroe, Nmecha, Stach, Harrison, Justin, Gruev

There are seven games in the Premier League on Saturday and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.

• Brighton v Leeds

• Burnley v Arsenal - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra 2

• Crystal Palace v Brentford

• Fulham v Wolves

• Nottingham Forest v Manchester United - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Tottenham v Chelsea (17:30) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Liverpool v Aston Villa (20:00)

Kick-off times 15:00 GMT unless stated

Follow all of the action and reaction here

You can also listen to today's 5 Live Premier League commentaries on most smart speakers. Just say "ask BBC Sounds to play Burnley v Arsenal" or "ask BBC Sounds to play Tottenham v Chelsea", for instance.

Find out more about how to listen to Premier League football on BBC Sounds

Leeds have made a great start and I am pleased for Daniel Farke.

He took a lot of stick when he was at Norwich, when I kept hearing how he wasn't a Premier League manager, but apart from their heavy defeat at leaders Arsenal, his side have been competitive in all of their games so far.

I am still going with a Brighton win here, though.

The Seagulls did not play well when they lost at Manchester United last weekend, then went out of the Carabao Cup at the hands of the Gunners on Wednesday, but they are unbeaten at home so far and I am expecting them to bounce back.

Sutton's prediction: 2-0

Read the full predictions and have your say here

Jordan Butler
BBC Sport journalist

An inconsistent Brighton host promoted Leeds on the south coast this Saturday. BBC Sport explores some of the key themes surrounding this fixture.

Evergreen Milner to face first side

Brighton will certainly welcome a return home after a loss at Old Trafford last Saturday and a League Cup defeat at the Emirates on Wednesday.

Fabian Hurzeler's side are on an eight-match unbeaten run at the Amex Stadium in the top flight, with four wins and four draws.

They have also kept a clean sheet in their past seven home league games against visitors Leeds, their longest run without conceding against a single opponent in the club's history.

Brighton's James Milner was born and bred in Leeds and made his top-flight debut for the Elland Road club in November 2002 when he was just 16.

Now 39, the evergreen utility player is still contributing at the highest level and his assist for 18-year-old Charalampos Kostoulas's goal against Manchester United set two unique Premier League records.

Not only was it the biggest gap in age between a player setting up a team-mate – a whopping 21 years and 146 days – but it was the first time in Premier League history that a player assisted another after making their debut in the competition before the scorer was born.

Milner is also nine games away from setting a new Premier League appearance record. If he were to feature on Saturday he would sit just seven matches behind Gareth Barry's total of 653. If he plays at Elland Road in the reverse fixture in May, the chances are he will already have broken it.

Positive start for Leeds

Leeds head to the south coast seeking to register consecutive Premier League victories for the first time since November 2022.

They've lost three of their four away trips so far this season but their sole victory at Wolves in September means they've already gone one better than Howard Wilkinson's team during the inaugural Premier League campaign in 1992-93. That side failed to win any of their 21 games on the road during a 42-game season but still finished two points above the relegation zone in 17th.

The positive start that Daniel Farke's side have made has gone somewhat under the radar due to Sunderland's charge towards the top of the division. But recent history suggests that his team is doing enough, as every promoted side in the last 10 seasons with 11 points or more after 10 games has survived. Leeds have amassed 11 points from their first nine matches.

The last promoted side to have at least 11 points after 10 games and be relegated was Cardiff City in 2013-14 – the Bluebirds mustered 12 points from their first 10 fixtures but finished the season bottom with 30 points after taking a meagre 18 from their remaining 28 matches.

A similar fate could still befall Leeds and, when asked about his side's return from their opening nine games, Leeds boss Farke said they deserved far more. "We should be on 15 to 17 points already," he said in his pre-match press conference. "We're on a good path, but survival isn't a guarantee. We need around nine or 10 wins to stay up."

A new episode of the Don't Go To Bed Just Yet podcast is now available to download and listen to on BBC Sounds.

Jonny Buchan, Adam Pope and Kaiser Chiefs' bassist Simon Rix reflect on the big win against West Ham, plus preview this weekend's trip to the South Coast to face Brighton as Daniel Farke's side look to make it back-to-back wins.

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

This - it seems - is the season of the set piece.

The Premier League debates are more about dead balls than ever before, with some sides enjoying immense success from corner kicks, throw ins or well-worked free-kicks.

What fine timing then for BBC Sport to launch a column with former manager Tony Pulis, a man who seemed to finely extract the fine margins from the game.

You can take in Tony's column on set pieces here

Millie Sian
BBC Sport journalist

Leeds United boss Daniel Farke has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Brighton at Amex Stadium (kick-off 15:00 GMT).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• He provided a positive squad update after admitting some of his players were "struggling with illnesses" last week: "We are in a way better position. I have nothing to report or complain about. Everyone is training and available."

• Gabriel Gudmundsson was forced off the pitch with a "dead leg" against West Ham. The club has ruled out "anything major" and the left-back will be "back and available" this weekend.

• Willy Gnonto has completed his "first full training week" since recovering from a calf injury and hernia surgery. Farke added: "He isn't a topic for the starting line-up after being out for so long, but we will see if we're going to take him with us this weekend."

• He has been impressed with Dan James' attitude to training following a lengthy period on the sidelines, adding that the winger is "working really hard to find his best shape" again.

• On picking up 11 points from their first nine games, Farke said: "I would be a bit more relaxed if we had taken all the points we deserved from those matches. We should be on 15 to 17 points already and, if that was the case, the sun would shine even more."

• He added: "We're on a good path, but survival isn't a guarantee. We need around nine or 10 wins to stay up."

• Brighton have already picked up "some good results against some top sides" this season, so his side will be "respectful of that, but won't travel in fear". He added: "We know we have a chance wherever we go."

• The Seagulls made "quite a few changes" for their midweek Carabao Cup match, so Leeds will be careful to not "overinterpret" the 2-0 defeat by Arsenal.

• When asked about Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler, Farke replied: "You could tell a few years ago that he was a big talent and full of potential. He's doing a fantastic job, so credit to him at his young age." He doesn't believe the 32-year-old has reached his "limit" as a football manager just yet.

• On facing Georginio Rutter at his new club, Farke said: "He has progressed really well. It was a joy to work with him because he was like a young horse. He was wild, full of energy and just wanted to play. He is an important player for Brighton. We want to handle him at the weekend and we will be making sure he doesn't shine too much."

Hear more from Farke on BBC Sounds

Follow all of Thursday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

Image source, Getty Images

The team on BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club have been debating whether the sides promoted to the Premier League can survive, given their starts to the campaign.

The Observer's Rory Smith: "It won't be the case that the three newly promoted sides will go down with a whimper. They have learnt the lesson of Forest and Villa. The way the Premier League works now is you come up, you spend all that money, and you hope you can survive. As things stand, I would say it's unlikely all three go down and it might not be any of them.

"The average team in the Premier League is better than it has ever been - just as it was last season.

"You go through the league - Brighton, Bournemouth, Brentford - they can all beat absolutely everyone. You are seeing this levelling out in the Premier League and it is to Arsenal's enormous credit that they seem to be hovering above it."

Former Premier League striker Chris Sutton: "Sunderland have been top drawer in the way they play. They carry a threat when they go forward. Looking back at the game against Chelsea, they had opportunities, they defended well and they threw bodies forward.

"I know it is early days, but you don't feel the wheels are going to come off. Their recruitment has been sensational and the way Regis Le Bris has got the team performing and functioning, and as competitive as they are, it is a testament to him. They have arguably got their star player [Habib] Diarra out injured.

"We always say with the promoted clubs that the start is really important and then they can get a foothold and gain confidence and feel they can be a match for anybody."

Former Premier League winger Andros Townsend: "Even if the wheels come off, they're [Sunderland] still doing a much better job than the last couple of promoted sides have done.

"In terms of Sunderland and Leeds, they have hostile atmospheres, amazing pitches. It gives them a massive boost. Nobody wants to go and play Leeds. Leeds away, no matter what division, is not a great place to go and win a football match. It's definitely helping them."

Molly Whitmore
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

Friday night under the Elland Road lights - that is what football is all about and what a game it turned out to be.

Leeds bounced back in style with a 2–1 win over West Ham and you could feel the sense of relief ripple through the stands. After the disappointment against Burnley last week, this felt like a huge step in the right direction.

Let's start with our Prince of Wales himself - Joe Rodon. The man is simply fantastic every single week. Composed, commanding and utterly dependable, he is the heartbeat of our defence. It is getting to the point where I am running out of superlatives for him.

The only downside? I am absolutely gutted that I left him on my Fantasy Premier League bench with 13 points! Typical, isn't it? The one week I thought he might not haul and he ends up being man of the match. Always back your men!

For Daniel Farke, this result will come as a huge relief. The pressure was beginning to build after the Burnley defeat and if we had gone down to West Ham as well, the criticism would have only grown louder.

Credit where it is due though, he showed real courage in his team selection. Dropping a few players who had looked off the pace last week was the right call, even if it raised a few eyebrows before kick-off.

I will admit I was questioning why Brenden Aaronson had not been one of those changes. But fair play, he proved me wrong in some style. His energy and drive were infectious and he was at the heart of everything positive going forward.

Gabby Logan said on Match of the Day that Leeds are "already safe in October". I love her optimism and it is refreshing to hear someone outside the club backing us, but I am not quite ready to share her confidence just yet. We have made a solid start, but there is still a long road ahead. If we can follow up this win with a strong performance against Brighton, then maybe we really can start believing.

We are only a point behind Brighton and there is absolutely no reason we can't go there and get all three points. That said, there is always the small matter of Danny Welbeck, the ex-Red Devil who seems to have a knack for scoring when you least want him to. Let's hope our defence led by the imperious Rodon keeps him quiet.

Before I wrap up, I have to mention Sean Longstaff. I think this must be the third or fourth week in a row I have sung his praises, but I can't help it - he has just been brilliant. Tireless, intelligent and quietly consistent, he is exactly the kind of player every good side needs.

Friday felt like a turning point and a reminder of what this Leeds team can be when belief, bravery and a bit of Rodon royalty all come together.

Molly Whitmore is a regular contributor on BBC Radio Leeds - find all their audio here

Chris Collinson
BBC Sport statistician

Leeds United have taken 11 points from their first nine Premier League matches and, even if they are beaten in game number 10 at Brighton on Saturday, recent history would suggest Daniel Farke's side will steer clear of relegation this season.

Stats cynics will rightly point out that surely there is a difference between just having 11 points after 10 games and having significantly more than that?

But if we look at exactly the position Leeds are in now, with 11 points after nine games, history still suggests they will stay up.

Leeds are the 11th promoted side to have 11 points after nine games. Eight of the previous 10 promoted sides in that position survived, including all of the past seven - a group which includes Leeds themselves in 2020-21.

The last time a promoted team was relegated after such a start was Manchester City in 2000-01, although Aston Villa did only survive on the final day of the 2019-20 campaign.

We asked for your thoughts after Friday's Premier League game between Leeds United and West Ham.

Here are some of your comments:

Leeds fans

Andrew: 11 points from nine games is an excellent start. We need to be more clinical, merciless and attack-minded when ahead. We need an in-form striker to make Dominic Calvert-Lewin wake up and fight for his place or possibly forming an attacking partnership with him, which hasn't been seen in years.

Paul: We were perfect in our approach. Fast start, hard work with our 2-0 lead, and then hitting on the break when the opportunities arise. A very good win.

Chris: Although dominant in the first half, I was still worried throughout if we were to concede one goal, others could follow; a third goal would have given us that cushion. Leeds need to maintain a high tempo throughout matches, as I believe that can bring us improved performance and results.

Andy: Solid performance from Leeds and a valuable three points. We looked solid at the back, Perri and Rodon commanded the box and Ampadu was a rock. We still lack goals and wasted too many chances though. Calvert-Lewin's hold-up play is fantastic, just nobody is feeding off him.

West Ham fans

Gerald: Very poor, and I've seen better teams at the school level. I have not seen any improvement under this manager.

Sue: What a load of rubbish. That's all I can say.

Mick: Defending is again the problem. These are Premier League players delivering League One performances. Without an injection of character and aggression on the pitch, it's hard to see them staying up. Even worse than Southampton last term. Championship next season.

Martin: Shocking start to the game - Leeds scoring their first attack. Defensively we are a shambles and we need central defenders with presence. Todibo and Kilman are like rabbits in the headlights so bring back Zouma!

Graham: We're clearly in a relegation battle and the worry is the players don't seem to realise it. Forget about the board. I feel sorry for the manager(s) having to watch the same mistakes over and over again. Time to look at the real problem and for these players to step up and fight for the club.

Steve Sutcliffe
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

While a lack of goals had been a major concern for Leeds in their opening eight league games, that issue was alleviated by the visit of the top-flight's worst defence.

Daniel Farke's side brutally exposed West Ham's weaknesses early on with Brenden Aaronson the tormentor-in-chief, scoring his first Premier League goal since August, 2022, and clipping the bar with a deflected effort after a rampaging run.

West Ham's inability to deal with crosses was clearly evident as Joe Rodon's goal was the ninth time they had conceded from a corner this term - the most of any side in the league's history after the same number of games.

Leeds could, and perhaps should, also have had more.

Ethan Ampadu, Noah Okafor and Jack Harrison all had opportunities, while they kept the visitors at bay with dogged defending until the end.

Pundits Michael Carrick and Ashley Williams join host Gabby Logan to bring you the action and talking points from Friday and Saturday's Premier League fixtures.

Watch on BBC iPlayer here

And listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Chelsea 1-2 Sunderland

• Newcastle 2-1 Fulham

• Man Utd 4-2 Brighton

Leeds United boss Daniel Farke spoke to Sky Sports after beating West Ham United: "First of all, I'm delighted to take the three points. It is difficult to explain how we were standing there after the last three games with one point. We had much more domination and controlled the performance. We had a difficult week, in terms of illnesses and injuries.

"It was a difficult week for us. You could feel it. We showed passion and bravery.

"In the last 20 minutes you could feel it was a difficult week. A big fighting spirit, will and passion to bring it over the line.

"It is good for confidence to bring it over the line. A priceless three points.

"Of course, we spoke about set-pieces. We spoke about a few things we wanted to explore.

"Today we had to be smart in terms of our game management. They prepared to give all our energy today. Overall, the lads dug in and stuck together. A lot of fighting spirit today and we earned the three points."

Central defender Joe Rodon spoke to Sky Sports, after scoring against the Hammers: "It was important to show a reaction after last weekend. It was important to come out the traps early, and I'm delighted with the three points.

"I think every team is difficult in this league. I'm a bit frustrated to concede at the end, but overall delighted with the three points.

"It was important to keep that momentum and make it difficult for teams to come here."

Did you know?

• Joe Rodon has netted two goals in his last three home games after managing just one in his previous 47 with Leeds United.

• This was Leeds United's first Premier League victory against a London club since beating Chelsea 3-0 at Elland Road in August 2022, ending a 16-game winless run against sides from the capital in the competition (D2 L14).