Final word: Maiden Leeds United goals, a comeback, steel and two days off — Whites show why they belong in Premier League — Yorkshire Post 21/9/25

By Stuart Rayner

Oh how Leeds United needed their first away win of the season.

Victory over Everton was only three Premier League games ago but for top-flight teams without cup football, matches usually only come week to week if that with the rash of early-season internationals. It makes momentum hard to generate and leaves plenty of time for negativity to linger. At a tinderbox club like Leeds it can spread like wildfire if you cannot dampen it down.

When new to the world’s best league you need to find joy wherever you can and hold it tight. That too can be contagious at Leeds.

"We've scored a goal," their fans sang after Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s header set them on the way to a 3-1 win at Wolverhampton Wanderers. "Two days off!" chanted the away dressing room after achieving it.

Manager Daniel Farke caught the mood, slipping in a big statement: "We belong in this league."

With that Everton win, a 0-0 v Newcastle United and a good display unrewarded at Fulham, it had been far from dreadful. There was a 5-0 pasting at Arsenal but that can happen with Champions League giants.

But with summer very definitely over as rain lashed Molineux, Leeds were still to score from open play or claim an away point.

And then there was Wolves. They have big units who can shift the ball and themselves at speed. In the Championship it is often one or the other, in the Premier League both.

But they had not taken a point all season and the natives are restless. "You've sold the team, now sell the club," they told the club's owners.

It made Saturday an opportunity not to be passed up.

"(In the past couple of matches) we played really well, but we hadn't the points," Anton Stach pointed out. "So it was really important.

"We know we need every point and that's why we're happy. After two days (off) we need to focus on the next games to get some points."

Calvert-Lewin, Stach and Noah Okafor scored their first Leeds goals. Stach and Okafor's were their first in English football full stop.

As an extra treat, Calvert-Lewin and Okafor's came in open play.

All were different and excellent.

Calvert-Lewin's was a centre-forward's goal from a high cross (maybe Leeds should try a few more of them), Stach's the sort of free-kick that should make opponents take more care around their box than Fer Lopez did. Okafor's came from Stach intercepting Emmanuel Agbadou's sloppy ball and two excellent passes – one perfectly weighted to Okafor, the other into the net.

That Leeds did it after conceding the first goal seconds after they should have scored it mattered too.

Having gone in 3-1 up at half-time Leeds showed their defensive qualities to not concede in a second half largely played in their half.

Karl Darlow had only two saves of note to make – both from substitute Marshall Munetsi – but the back-up goalkeeper showing his Craven Cottage stops seven days earlier were no fluke was another big positive.

"I would have preferred to dominate the second half a bit more but to show steel if necessary is also important," acknowledged Farke.

"We kept many clean sheets last season, we have shown really good defensive behaviours apart from the Arsenal game. For me it was not in doubt we would show again we are really good in terms of defending.

"The first five games are proof we belong in this league, we can win games and points at this level.

"The narrative in this club changes every week so with seven points probably everyone will speak about Europe. Probably I should be glad that we don't have eight points because then Europe wouldn't be enough, we would speak about the Champions League already!

"I'm glad to send our supporters into a nice weekend, they should celebrate and dream a little bit."

"That's why everybody plays," said Stach. And watches too.

Just as beating Everton gave some leeway in tricky fixtures against Arsenal, Newcastle and Fulham, so this victory means encouraging performances – with goals – at home to Bournemouth and Tottenham Hotspur can still have value even if points do not come with them.

Regardless, Leeds will go into October's international break yet to dip below a point a game. That formula will keep Premier League football at Elland Road.

"Two wins after five gamedays is really good, seven points for a newly-promoted side is really good, but we also know seven points won't be enough to stay in this league," cautioned Farke.

Still, Leeds supporters have a lot more look forward to than their counterparts in the sodden old gold can envisage right now. Even that makes winning points easier.