How Leeds United used defeats the right way in Premier League relegation battle — Yorkshire Post 30/5/26

By Stuart Rayner

Asking Daniel Farke to pick out the most important matches of Leeds United's 2025-26 is a bit like asking him to name his favourite child.

But it is clear that a lot of what was so good about the Whites' first season back in the Premier League came out of defeats and setbacks.

It speaks volumes for the resilience of Farke and players like Brenden Aaronson that they were able to use them in the right way.

Learning from mistakes is an important part of life, never mind football, but not all managers get the chance, with some chairman prone to panic at the first sign of trouble and reach for the P45.

Leeds must be mightily relieved they gave Farke the opportunity.

For many of us, the 3-2 defeat at Manchester City felt like a turning point for Leeds, but in trying not to answer the question, it was perhaps telling that Farke reached for September's 1-0 reverse at Craven Cottage first.

"It was a long season, a marathon, and in a marathon each and every mile or kilometre counts," he insisted. "You can't allow yourself to lose a marathon in a special period.

"It's not just one game where you win it or perhaps not just one game where you lose. You have to make sure that the whole way is heading on the right path.

"Sometimes even a loss was important because we learned or took extra motivation.

"For example, we played a very good away game at Fulham that we lost with an unbelievably unlucky own goal by Gabi Gudmundsson more or less in the last second.

"But playing such a good away game gave us confidence, a confidence and the belief that we are competitive at this level.

"We also took a few lessons that we have to be effective in both boxes and we can't afford for one second to be not switched on.

"For the table and the confidence all the wins were very important but especially important is winning after a loss – how you respond.

"Sometimes even a draw is crucial – a late equaliser against Liverpool to lift the mood even more was important, a stalemate and a difficult situation away at Liverpool, or a late equaliser away at Bournemouth. We were in a losing position at Chelsea so sometimes even a draw can be can be very important.

"I wouldn't say there is this one standout game that was more important than others.

"We try to learn out of each of the games and we saw in each of the wins the negative aspects or what we can improve even there

"It's difficult to judge that there was one special game."

There is no question, though, which was the toughest period.

By the time Leeds dropped into the relegation zone for the first time in late November, with a 2-1 defeat at home to Aston Villa, the frustration was just starting to bubble on the terraces, supporters voicing their anger at the manager.

Ahead through a Lukas Nmecha goal after just eight minutes, Leeds feel to their sixth defeat in nine matches, with Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool as their next three opponents in the space of seven days.

A bad week could have been the end of Farke.

His half-time double substitution and switch to a back three at Eastlands saw Leeds claw a 2-0 deficit back to 2-2, only for Phil Foden to win the game in stoppage time. But a new formula had been found, and Chelsea were beaten, Liverpool held.

The danger had passed. Leeds were back out of the relegation zone and would never go back.

"We had to change formation, I think we needed to change because things weren't going well in moments," acknowledged Aaronson. "For the boss to change the way he likes to play and go into a three-back, from that moment on we've been fantastic.

"We've worked a lot on our formation, how we want to play like that."

If there was one person less popular than Farke at Leeds in October/November, it was Aaronson. The American's form as the right-winger in a 4-3-3 was poor, his continued selection a stick used to beat the manager. But Farke saw Aaronson's workrate and believed in his quality.

"It's football, it's ups and downs, you go through so much in your career," says Aaronson, who is in the United States squad for this summer's World Cup. "I know that I have to go through things, my parents always tell me that your career is always ups and downs.

"I just know that I have to keep my head on and keep going, work hard in training every day and just keep a good attitude.

"I think that's why things always come around to positive people and to good people and that's what I try to do."