Leeds United were handed a reality check on Saturday afternoon as Daniel Farke watched his side suffer a third defeat in four games, losing to Georginio Rutter’s Brighton at The Amex.

There was optimism among Leeds fans going into Saturday’s clash against Brighton on the south coast, after beating West Ham last time out. But Brighton has always been a difficult trip for Leeds in the past.

So it proved, on Saturday. A 3-0 defeat that was probably not as bad as it sounds, with Leeds boasting a few chances, especially with Brighton one ahead. Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Sean Longstaff had chances.

But this is the Premier League and mistakes will be punished. Rutter played a key role for The Seagulls, magically creating Brighton’s third as he got to the byline and pulled back for Diego Gomez’s second.

Georginio Rutter posts heartfelt picture of Daniel Farke

After the game, Rutter applauded the travelling Leeds fans. It was Rutter’s first game against Leeds since leaving the club in the summer of 2024, becoming Brighton’s record signing for a huge fee of £40m.

Having created Brighton’s third, Rutter’s subdued celebration showed his affection towards Leeds, after naming one of his racehorses ‘Brighlee’ after Brighton and Leeds. On Instagram, he posted some images.

Alongside a brief caption of “the pictures speak for themselves”, Rutter uploaded an image of him and Leeds manager Farke embracing [seventh on eight pictures] on the pitch after the Whites were beaten.

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Where do Leeds sit in the Premier League table after 3-0 defeat?

A humbling result, and Leeds’ second biggest defeat of the season. Indeed, a fifth loss from 10 games and fans have been reminded of just how difficult survival in the Premier League will be to achieve.

Leeds might have had a few chances and could easily have equalised. But the result is a poor one for Leeds and Farke, even if supporters might have expected and even accepted a difficult afternoon.

Arsenal’s win over Burnley, Forest’s draw with Man United, and Wolves’ loss to Fulham mean Leeds stay in 16th and nine above last place. Five points separate the relegation zone and Farke’s men currently.