Leeds United duo underscore new transfer truth about squad after Daniel Farke’s brutal Brighton axing — Leeds Live 6/9/26

Leeds United's underpinning aim of the summer looks, right now, to have been a success

Isaac Johnson Leeds United reporter

Jayden Bogle’s close-range effort was 14 years in the making. Michael Brown was the last Leeds United player to score at the Amex Stadium back in 2012. There had been seven goalless visits since then - but no longer.

Only Ao Tanaka will know whether he meant his assist in Saturday's 1-1 draw with Brighton & Hove Albion but it gets chalked down on his season tally.

The result means Leeds continue their unbeaten start to the season with five points in their first three Premier League games, as well as the League Cup win over Nottingham Forest.

“We had within these four games, three difficult away games; two wins, and today a draw where we nearly also won. It gives lots of confidence,” said Daniel Farke.

But, as he mentioned, the boss - and many fans - felt Leeds could have had the full spoils.

Missed chances

Leeds have not won away at Brighton for 17 years and the wait continues - although the visitors did have chances to “put the game out of sight” before the equaliser, as Farke put it. Indeed the greater xG of 2.49 vs 2.19 underlines so.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin - who had seen a header saved in the lead-up to Bogle’s opener - might have been offside for his chance when he rounded the goalkeeper, depending on whether Anton Stach or the defender touched it last, but either way he should have made VAR make a decision.

Lewis Dunk deserves praise for denying a goal but the striker will feel that he had already done the hard part.

Then shortly after half-time, Anton Stach found himself in space on the angle inside the area but hit the ball too close to goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen, who stretched out his leg to deny the German from six yards.

You could perhaps throw Lukas Nmecha’s late shot into the category of ‘should have done better’, but that was a much harder chance.

It is also true Brighton had their chances. A few through-balls were hit at James Trafford but Pascal Gross - who had a good game - had the worst gilt-edged miss.

The ball dropped inside the six-yard box but he snatched at it and hit his effort over the bar, somehow. That would have been harsh on Leeds - a draw was a fair result.

Trio catch eye

Nico Elvedi also made his first Premier League start, with Jaka Bijol dropping to the bench. The new boy continued his fine form, having played more-or-less an hour unexpectedly amid Joe Rodon’s injury against Brentford last weekend.

Yesterday, he performed well defensively, albeit did start to wane a touch towards the end - perhaps a reminder that the 29-year-old still does need to acclimatise to the Premier League. But it was the Swiss who ended the game with the highest pass accuracy out of any Leeds starter - 89.5%.

Interestingly too, all of his six balls into the final third were completed - four more than any other Leeds player who has a 100% rate. One of them was his sumptuous cross for Calvert-Lewin's header amidst the opening goal.

It was James Trafford who actually sent the most long balls into the final third (nine) but only 22% of them came off. But his shot-stopping mattered more.

Three of his four saves were pretty standard but one curling effort saw him dive low to his left and push the ball away. Two punches and two high claims also helped offer the defence a reprieve.

Farke noted that he has instilled confidence into his defenders and also how Tanaka showed the bravery he wanted in midfield. Indeed, he won all four of his duels and showed intention with his passing, even if sometimes they did not come off.

In the main, though, he offered control and almost got a goal himself, cracking an effort off the bar shortly after the opener.

That, more harshly, went down as another ‘missed chance’. He was unlucky with his disallowed goal, too, after a lovely slided finish.

Wilson and Bijol dropped

Harry Wilson has now been benched for the past two matches while Bijol was dropped in place of Elvedi with James Justin in the right centre-back slot. Many considered Wilson would be a regular starter upon signing but instead Anton Stach was moved up and Tanaka was deployed in midfield.

And, of course, Leeds got a result. It underlines that few players - barring maybe, James Trafford, Ethan Ampadu and Dominic Calvert-Lewin - are safe of their place. That is a good thing, with the new boys keeping the old guard on their toes.

The whole aim of this summer was to raise the ceiling of the squad. Elvedi and Trafford’s showings, as well as the omissions of Wilson - a new signing himself - and Bijol, from the XI underline that this objective might well have been accomplished going by first glances.