Leeds United celebrated a momentous victory against league leaders Leicester City on Friday, propelling Daniel Farke’s team to 28 points after their first 15 matches of the season. This achievement inevitably drew comparisons to their successful promotion campaign under Marcelo Bielsa, where they also accumulated 28 points at the same stage in the 2019/20 season.
During that memorable year, Leeds went on to accumulate an impressive 93 points, finishing ten points ahead of West Bromwich Albion and twelve points ahead of third-placed Brentford.
Farke faced difficulties in the initial weeks of his tenure in West Yorkshire, as players from the relegated squad sought to exercise contract clauses and transfer elsewhere. In fact, Bournemouth duo Luis Sinisterra and Tyler Adams went as far as threatening legal action against the club. Despite these challenges, Leeds managed to turn their fortunes around and secured six wins from their last eight matches, including remarkable comebacks and dominant victories.
Comparing Leeds’ current performance to last season’s Championship winners, Burnley, it is evident that Farke’s side is faring better. Burnley, managed by Vincent Kompany, had two fewer points than Leeds at this stage of the season. However, during their remaining 31 matches, Burnley only dropped points on eight occasions and ultimately finished the season with an impressive 101 points.
The tally of 28 points from 15 matches is Leeds’ joint-highest in a decade since their promotion from League One in 2010, when they secured 36 points under Simon Grayson’s leadership. Back in the 2008/09 season, despite starting with a 15-point deduction, Leeds managed 38 points thanks to twelve wins after the same number of matches, guided by Dennis Wise.
To find a better start to the season in the top two divisions, we have to go all the way back to 1999/2000 when David O’Leary led the team to a third-place finish in the Premier League with 32 points from their opening 15 games.
If it weren’t for the exceptional starts from Leicester City and Ipswich Town this season, both fans and pundits would be singing praises for Daniel Farke’s impressive start at Leeds. With their statement victory against Leicester, the team is now focused on their upcoming match against Plymouth Argyle at Elland Road, hoping to gain ground on the top two teams.
