Leeds United show the way to subvert order in most fickle world — Graham Smyth's Wolves Verdict — YEP 21/9/25
By Graham Smyth
Now and then football presents you with an opportunity to do
yourself some good and your rivals some harm and Leeds United did not miss at
Molineux.
For Leeds to participate in the 2026/27 Premier League they
will need to be better than at least one of the establishment. The top flight
has managed to get rid of newcomers in short order over the past couple of
seasons and for Leeds to subvert the order they will have to be competitive in
a way recent new boys were not. A win over Everton, a draw with Newcastle
United and the vast majority of their performance at Fulham suggested it might
just be possible but the lack of goals has been more than a concern. It was all
anyone was talking about prior to the Wolves game.
Wolves sat bottom prior to Saturday's encounter with no
points. Even before a ball was kicked they were pinpointed as a possible
candidate for the relegation battle. So even at this early stage of the season
Leeds had in their hands an opportunity. Win and move to seven points. Score a
goal or two and silence the only real criticism of you and your manager. Do
those things and put your foot on the throat of an already-struggling team.
Keep them down there. Move further away from them up the table. Do yourself
some good and a rival some serious harm.
If you're going to struggle to score goals then you have to
be rock solid at the back. That has essentially been the message from Daniel
Farke in the opening weeks of the season. With chances, never mind goals, at a
premium then clean sheets and good defending are of paramount importance. In
the first eight minutes at Molineux Leeds continued to struggle to score goals
but were soft and porous when Wolves put together a first meaningful attack.
At one end it was the same old story when Gabriel
Gudmundsson went on a run and played a one-two with Anton Stach, the
left-back's cross making its way through the six-yard box without being
attacked by a white shirt. Farke felt Gudmundsson should have gone for goal
himself. At the other end it was an even more alarming story as Tolu Arokodare
pulled Joe Rodon out of position, the ball was played into the space behind and
Ladislav Krejci ran away from Sean Longstaff to beat Karl Darlow and open the
scoring.
What was strange about the goal was that it had next to no
impact on the game. It didn't breathe new life into the home side and it didn't
seem to dent the visitors' rhythm. But the story didn't change either. Brenden
Aaronson put a great cross into the area that no one attacked. Stach's cut back
was cut out. Noah Okafor provided a couple of bright moments but bright moments
do not keep the lights on in the Premier League. What was needed was quality.
Calvert-Lewin difference maker
When the opportunity unexpectedly arose to sign
Calvert-Lewin Leeds jumped at it, believing he could be a difference maker for
a newly-promoted club. When Jayden Bogle's slightly-deflected cross came his
way in the box Calvert-Lewin's eyes lit up and he jumped at it, powering and
directing his header into the back of the net. It was the striker's bread and
butter but it was Premier League quality and having taken stick from the home
fans it must have tasted so sweet. This is what Leeds hoped he would do and the
first evidence that he can still do it.
This goal, unlike the game's first, did something.
Calvert-Lewin in particular was relishing the battle with Wolves' centre-backs
and putting himself about. With six minutes left in the half he ran onto
Aaronson's pass and drew a foul 25 yards out. Stach stepped up and struck a
free-kick that both curled and swerved into the top corner. The German might
not produce a better strike all season.
And Leeds weren't done. Nor was Stach. He intercepted a pass
in the Wolves half, strode forward and played the ball into the path of Okafor
who drilled the ball precisely inside the far post. You wait a full month for a
Premier League goal and then three come along at once. All three scored by
summer signings, no less. All three perfect examples of the ruthless, clinical
finishing Leeds will need if they are to stay up. This is the way.
The second half was a different story because at 3-1 up the
game was won if Leeds could simply defend their goal. It was more open than
Farke might have liked at times and there were a couple of chances for Wolves
but they found Darlow impossible to beat. More often than not they didn't get
as far as the Leeds keeper because the visitors defended with everything they
had. Bodies flew in front of shots. Crosses were headed clear. There was near
constant pressure but only sporadic danger.
On the counter Okafor was a threat and his left flank
combination with Gudmundsson and Stach worried Wolves once or twice. But the
half was almost all about defending. Okafor did that too until he ran out of
steam and Jack Harrison took the baton. Farke made other changes to try and
keep energy in his team's legs. The big bad Wolves huffed and puffed but the
house that Farke built stood firm.
Ownership under fire
When the full-time whistle went Leeds' efforts allowed them
to celebrate with the 3,012 in the away section, while Wolves heard boos. The
fickle nature of football will be lost on no one among the Leeds hierarchy
because had they been 3-1 down then it might well have been 49ers Enterprises
subject to angry chanting instead of the Wolves-owning Fosun Group. But just as
goals can change games, results change narratives. And seven points from five
games is a very decent return. As Farke quipped after the game, another point
and the talk would have turned to Champions League hopes.
Given how bad Wolves are, this was actually a must-win game.
If you can't score goals and win games against teams like this one, a team now
pointless from five outings, then when will you score and who can you beat?
Farke was not getting carried away and nor should he because far tougher tests
lie ahead but at the same time an away win against an established Premier
League side is to be enjoyed. Leeds fought so hard to get back to the top
flight and fans were put through the ringer right to the last minute last
season so any and all away day joy is to be cherished and lapped up. They
should value every point and cheer every goal. Leeds United score those now.
