Leeds United were beaten by Brighton and Hove Albion at the weekend for their fifth Premier League loss of the season – and a statistic after the game showed exactly where Daniel Farke’s side need to improve.
A Danny Welbeck goal followed by a brace from Diego Gomez saw the Seagulls win their third game of the season at home, remaining unbeaten on home soil so far in the Premier League campaign under Fabian Hurzeler.
For Leeds, it was a tough day at the office, with just five shots overall, and their only two on target troubled Bart Verbruggen with just five minutes to go.
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Daniel Farke will need to improve going forward, and one Premier League statistic has made that clear to see in terms of lasting the distance.
Photo by Michael Driver/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty ImagesGlaring Leeds statistic doesn’t paint a pretty picture for them in the Premier League
Leeds are clearly an energetic, attack-minded side who rely heavily on their crowd at Elland Road to spur them through matches. But the harsh reality of the Premier League means that keeping that tempo up for 90 minutes can be a tough ask, especially against some of the best players in the world.
With that in mind, and with tiredness subsequently an issue for the Whites, it’s seen them massively struggle in the second half of games, with questions being asked of Daniel Farke.
Barring the opening day win over Everton when Lukas Nmecha scored a late penalty in a 1-0 win, they have only drawn three other games when basing matches solely on the second half of the tie.
For example, the 0-0 draw against Newcastle meant they picked up a ‘point’ in the second half of that clash – yet a 3-1 first-half lead over Wolves stayed that way until the end of the game, meaning the second half only warranted a point. A 2-2 draw at Bournemouth was 1-1 at half-time and so another point was earned.
However, in every other game, they have lost in the second half. A 5-0 drubbing at Arsenal saw the Gunners score three after the break, a 1-0 loss to Fulham came in the dying embers of stoppage time, and a 2-1 loss to Tottenham transpired after drawing 1-1 at half-time.
Even in the loss to relegation rivals Burnley, the Clarets led 1-0 at the break and won 2-0 to signify that Leeds lost in both halves – whilst the 2-1 win over West Ham saw them actually lose the second half, given Daniel Farke’s men went into the interval 2-0 up.
That, alongside Brighton’s six-minute double salvo through Diego Gomez, means that only Wolves have picked up less points in the ‘second half’ table.
It may seem like an inconsequential stat, but compared to others in the relegation battle, it could be vital come the end of the season.
Photo by Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty ImagesLeeds’ second half weakness could be a telling sign in the crunch stages of the season
When looking at other clubs in the ‘second half table’, Leeds are trailing a long way away. Wolves are below them on five points, whilst Manchester United are level on six.
But when you get to their relegation rivals, the table makes for tough reading. Nottingham Forest are on nine points in the second half of Premier League games West Ham are on 13 and into the top 10, whilst Burnley are level with them and Sunderland are in third, on 19.
Of course, the first-half table decides the way matches are set up.
Yet if Leeds struggle to break teams down, it makes for poor reading. In fact, they’ve only scored twice in the second half in just ten games, showing a real lack of being able to break teams down if they go behind.
That could be huge by the end of the season if the likes of Burnley, West Ham and more can get firing in clutch moments.