Clean sheets propelling Leeds United towards promised land — Leeds Press 6/2/25
by Kris Sanyal
Leeds United attackers are getting flowers for their
performances against Cardiff City and Coventry City in back-to-back
Championship games. They hammered Cardiff at home 7-0 before comfortably
beating Coventry on the road on Wednesday night in a game that finished 2-0 but
could have easily been an embarrassment for the home side. Joel Piroe is back
in his groove with three goals in the last two games and Manor Solomon has
continued his form with both goals and assists. However, Leeds also didn’t
concede in the last two and in fact, they have not conceded a goal since Illan
Meslier dropped a couple of clangers in the 3-3 draw at Hull City last month.
Leeds have kept clean sheets in the last six games in all competitions, which
is their best defensive performance since 1981.
The Whites have stepped up a level in recent games and have
managed to build a five-point lead at the top of the Championship standings
after 31 games.
In the last two games, Leeds have been ruthless in the way
they despatched two in-form teams in Cardiff and Coventry respectively by
scoring early goals and taking control of proceedings.
The Leeds forwards are getting praised for the way they have
taken their chances in the last couple of games and there is a feeling some of
their big players are now coming into form at the right time of the season.
However, it is easy to forget that Leeds have not conceded a
goal in their last five league games and goalkeeper Illan Meslier seems to have
shaken off his mid-season drop in form.
Leeds have always been a reliable team when it comes to
creating chances but the clean sheets have suddenly turned them into an
impregnable force at a crucial juncture of the season.
Defensive solidity has turned Leeds United into an
unstoppable force at this stage of the season
The look on the face of Joe Rodon and Joel Piroe, when
Meslier conceded a late equaliser at Hull City in the 3-3 draw last month, was
telling for many Leeds fans.
The Frenchman was struggling and there was a feeling his
teammates were also losing confidence in him. However, Daniel Farke kept his
faith and it is paying off now.
The goalkeeper produced two brilliant saves in the second
half at Coventry to ensure that the good work the forwards did at the other end
didn’t get ruined.
Since the Hull calamity, Leeds have not conceded a goal in
any competition, which includes five Championship games on the trot and they
possess the second-best defensive record in the league.
Leeds’ defensive numbers have only improved throughout the
season, and the issues they faced earlier in the campaign at the back are no
longer there.
They have always been relied upon to score goals but their
increased defensive solidity in the last month or so has made them a scary
proportion for any team in the Championship.
Teams now know that Leeds can mix it up and be hard as nails
at the back coupled with their ability to create chances consistently at the
other end.
And this could get better……
Five clean sheets in a row and the best defensive record in
the Championship – one might think this can’t get any better defensively for
Leeds but think again.
Leeds are currently playing with a makeshift centre-back
pairing due to Pascal Struijk’s injury and Farke has made it clear that he sees
Ethan Ampadu as a midfielder but is being forced to play him in centre-back.
The Leeds captain has been wonderful beside Joe Rodon but
Struijk was undroppable from the starting eleven when he was fit and playing in
defence.
The Dutchman could soon return from an injury and there is
no doubt that Farke will put him back in the team as soon as he is fit to play
90 minutes for Leeds.