Burnley 2 Leeds United 0: Big chances wasted and defensive problems as one Whites man stands out — YEP 18/10/25

By Lee Sobot

Leeds United took on Burnley at Turf Moor in their first Premier League game back after the international break.

Leeds United fell to a fourth defeat of the Premier League season as Saturday’s return to action at Burnley ended in a 2-0 defeat featuring problems at both ends of the pitch.

Leeds wasted an early opening as a towering header from Dominic Calvert-Lewin played Brenden Aaronson in down the right but the attack ended as Aaronson waited for Jayden Bogle on the overlap and Bogle's cross was cleared.

Burnley's first attempt saw Florentino drag a poor shot wide from the edge of the box and Jacob Bruun Larsen then fired a free-kick straight at Karl Darlow.

Another half-chance for Leeds then presented itself as a cross from Aaronson picked out Calvert-Lewin who sent an overhead kick from inside the box well over the bar.

But Burnley went ahead in the 19th minute as a superb cross from Kyle Walker flew through the Whites box and picked out Lesley Ugochukwu who evaded any markers and beat Darlow with a powerful header.

Burnley quickly threatened to score a second and a big tackle followed by a crucial sliding block from the excellent Gabriel Gudmundsson was needed to keep the Clarets at bay.

His side then should have equalised in the 34th minute, Jack Harrison intercepting a Burnley pass and playing in Aaronson who was left one-on-one with Dubravka at an angle but Aaronson’s shot was too close to the Clarets keeper who got down to push the shot on to the post and away to safety.

At the other end, another very threatening Burnley cross flew through the Whites box, this time delivered by Ugochukwu but the alert Darlow raced out to gather.

After Gudmundsson was fouled, the half then ended with a Leeds free-kick on the edge of the Burnley box but Anton Stach's shot was too near Dubravka who pulled off an easy enough save.

Whites boss Daniel Farke made no changes during the interval, after which another Leeds opening was wasted as Aaronson cut out Walker’s attempt at a crossfield pass only to put too much on his attempted through ball for Calvert-Lewin after charging up the pitch.

After a break in play as Burnley’s Larsen received treatment, Aaronson was played into the box by Longstaff but his drive towards goal was blocked near the line.

But a much better chance was squandered a few minutes later as a decent cross from Longstaff picked out Harrison who sent his volley into the ground and over the bar from the middle of the box.

A few minutes later, a big Joe Rodon header at a corner teed up Harrison again on the edge of the box but the winger skewed another volley over.

Farke finally called for a double change in the 66th minute as disappointing duo Harrison and Aaronson were replaced by Dan James and Lukas Nmecha, the latter quickly presented with a headed chance from a Rodon cross which was easily saved by Dubravka.

Instead, just two minutes later, Burnley doubled their lead, Leeds losing the ball in the middle of the park and the Clarets working the ball to substitute Loum Tchaouna who beat Darlow with a rocket of a shot from 25 yards out that flew past him and into the top left corner.

Over the bar from a yard out

Leeds should have pulled a goal back four minutes later as a Calvert-Lewin header picked out Bogle at the far post but the right back got himself in a muddle and sent the ball over the bar from about a yard out.

Farke then made another change as Stach was withdrawn for Joel Piroe who was among the Whites men to then have chances, a header from the striker flying through the box and away to safety.

Moments later, Ethan Ampadu had an opportunity in a crowded box but could not get a shot away and Nmecha then sent another header over the bar as Burnley held firm.

Leeds continued to press them but another chance created by the clear stand out Leeds player in Gudmundsson was then wasted as Piroe could only fire wide from the left back’s pullback from the byline.

The Whites were given another seven minutes of added time in their bid to finally make a breakthrough but Rodon sent a header from a Longstaff corner straight at Dubravka, shortly before a bad day for Struijk was compounded by a booking for shoving Hannibal Mejbri.

The frustration in United’s players was clear to see, Rodon bundling over Ashley Barnes and one final Leeds chance was then wasted as Calvert-Lewin sent a header from a Tanaka cross over the bar.