Return to key Leeds United principle is a game changer — Graham Smyth's Liverpool Verdict — YEP 3/8/26

By Graham Smyth

The Verdict on Leeds United’s comeback win over Liverpool in Chicago.

One of 49ers Enterprises' big aims is to ensure Leeds United's football is a close match for the club's DNA and the friendly with Chicago showed why.

Leeds United is at its best on the front foot, snarling in the face of the opposition and displaying all of the aggression that echoes in the stands. Going away from that DNA is dangerous because nothing was ever won by being passive. The Whites found that out the hard way in the first half in Chicago, a half that saw them go 2-0 down to the Reds. Playing the second half exactly how Leeds United should brought four goals and a win that ended the US tour in almost perfect style.

The state of the pitch at Soldier Field was a pre-game talking point, along with the continued absences of Lucas Perri and Jaka Bijol. A Chicago Fire fixture 24 hours earlier and the patchy re-laying of turf over the sprinklers made for a surface far from Premier League standards. The goalkeeper situation was no different to what it was prior to the previous game against Sunderland, a slight knock keeping Perri out ahead of his almost-inevitable departure. Getting a deal for James Trafford over the line is Leeds' priority before giving Perri the green light to join Torino. As for Bijol, the centre-back is said to be progressing well as he returns from injury and the hope is that he returns to full team training shortly.

Even without Bijol, Daniel Farke was able to field a strong back line with first-choice wing-backs flanking a three-man unit of Joe Rodon, Tarik Muharemovic and James Justin. Yet it still took Liverpool just six and a half minutes to take the lead in Chicago and the manner of the goal was disappointing. A corner from the right was flicked on by Milos Kerkez and Luke Chambers - one of two free red shirts in the box - hammered home past Alex Cairns. The 22-year-old brushed past the attentions of Lukas Nmecha to run into space and open the scoring.

Leeds were far from under the cosh early on, seeing plenty of the ball and some of it in the opposition half. When Liverpool broke, Muharemovic was there to read and intercept. And the Whites came close to a leveller. Nmecha had the first chance and a good one at that. Jayden Bogle's early cross was accurate and inviting, but Nmecha's downward header was clawed out by Giorgi Mamardashvili.

Any further Liverpool joy before the midway point of the half was largely prompted by Leeds themselves. A miscommunication between Muharemovic and Gabriel Gudmundsson allowed the Reds to break into the area on their right, requiring Ethan Ampadu to intervene. Sloppiness playing out from the back - Alex Cairns was not alone in struggles under pressure - handed Andoni Iraola's men possession in promising areas, though they failed to capitalise. That sloppiness - Ao Tanaka in particular was guilty of dawdling on the ball - prevented Leeds from doing much to progress it forward, though when they finally did they created once again. Nmecha sorted his feet out at the end of a counter and fired off a decent strike that whistled past the post.

The biggest worry of all for Leeds in the first half was the sight of Gudmundsson going to ground awkwardly after a mid-air collision. The Swede recovered to make it past the half-hour mark only to pull up with an apparent hamstring issue. Farke sent on Sebastiaan Bornauw to play centre-back, pushing Justin to left wing-back.

The defending pulled focus again when a ball to the back post was hooked into the middle of the area by Jeremie Frimpong and a clutch of four Leeds players were beaten to the ball by Kerkez, who beat Cairns with his finish. Farke's frustration with the goal, reflected in his reaction, was that an offside flag had gone up and been ignored during the build-up. The officials being without their comms system did not help but nor did the ball watching going on as Liverpool finished off their attack.

The difference between the sides was seen again when Leeds worked the ball forward nicely and Anton Stach had a chance to deliver into the area but failed to produce the quality the Reds had enjoyed. The big German sought to make amends from a long way out during Leeds' next move and brought a smart save from Mamardashvili. At half-time the score was 2-0 because one side had been clinical.

Farke's half-time changes made a difference to the rhythm of the game, if not the scoreline initially. Dominic Calvert-Lewin fashioned a chance for himself with a nice touch and a burst of pace from halfway. The striker made it to the area and then his end product was caught somewhere between a chip and a cross. He got on the end of a Harry Wilson free-kick and should have done better with the header.

But Leeds were on the front foot and more aggressive. Sean Longstaff was key to that. The midfielder pressed the keeper and forced a rushed clearance, Leeds picked off possession and Ampadu slid the ball into the run of Brenden Aaronson who finished nicely to pull a goal back. It was far more reminiscent of last season's Leeds than what was served up prior to the break - attacking quickly from ball wins high up the pitch was a source of big chances for the newly-promoted side.

It wasn't all brute force that changed the game. Wilson was aggressive with the ball. Rodon and Justin were aggressive in how high up the pitch they pushed when the chance arrived. It was a Justin break that led to an opportunity for Ampadu to hurl a long throw into the area, it was flicked on by Rodon and Calvert-Lewin tip-toed in alone at the back post to stick in the equaliser.

The third took next to no time to arrive. Leeds were getting right at Liverpool on either flank and down the middle at every opportunity. Aaronson got the byline on the left, pulled the ball back nicely and Longstaff added a finish that was every bit as scruffy as the pitch to wrong-foot the keeper.

And to hammer home their second half superiority, Leeds went and added a fourth. The long throw worked so well for the second that they simply repeated it. This time it was Bornauw with the front post flick on but it was Calvert-Lewin on hand once more to crash a header in off the crossbar. Leeds stayed on the front foot to the finish, not necessarily carving out chances but playing the game in the right areas and in the right way.