Saturday 17th January 3:00pm | Elland Road
Elland Road will welcome Fulham on Saturday afternoon, as Leeds United aims to shake off the disappointment of a dramatic last-gasp defeat by Newcastle. Harvey Barnes’s stoppage-time strike sealed a 4-3 victory for the Magpies, taking advantage of a defence that has been vulnerable in the final moments this season. In fact, the Whites have conceded eight goals in stoppage time, more than any other Premier League side, and the Elland Road faithful will be praying history doesn’t repeat itself against a Fulham side who stole all three points with their own late winner back in mid-September. On that occasion, it was an unfortunate Gudmundsson own goal deep into added time that handed Marco Silva’s men a 1-0 success.
Fulham arrive in Yorkshire in confident mood. They remain on a six-game unbeaten run in the Premier League (four wins, two draws) and have collected 14 points since mid-December, a tally bettered only by Arsenal in that period. Their recent record against Leeds is equally impressive: three straight top-flight victories, the longest winning streak the Cottagers have ever enjoyed over the Whites. Since December 2021, they have gone four matches without defeat at Elland Road (two wins, two draws), and their ongoing confidence is bolstered by victories over Nottingham Forest, Chelsea and Manchester Utd in recent weeks.
Silva’s squad, however, is stretched. Nigeria’s AFCON semi-final has taken Calvin Bassey, Alex Iwobi and Samuel Chukwueze out of contention. Rodrigo Muniz remains sidelined after hamstring surgery in November, joining the likes of Joshua King, who hasn’t featured since late December due to a knee injury, and full-back Kenny Tete, still nursing a hamstring strain. Fulham’s creativity and attacking depth will be sorely tested if Silva is forced to shuffle his options once more.
Daniel Farke has reason to feel optimistic. In his Thursday press conference, the German head coach revealed that Sebastiaan Bornauw, Joe Rodon, Gabriel Gudmundsson and Jayden Bogle are “back in contention” after injury setbacks. “The team news looks much better,” Farke said, reflecting a fully fit squad for the first time in several weeks. The improved defensive options should help address the late concessions that have cost Leeds dearly of late.
With the January transfer window open, Farke also faced questions about reinforcements. He reiterated Leeds’s summer objectives, an emphasis on a creative number 10 or an additional winger, and admitted that while they missed out on a key target in August, “we have developed really well as a group and we’re on a good path.” Any incoming player must not only fill a technical need but “fit into this group,” he added. The coach was adamant that the club would not compromise the squad’s spirit for a headline signing. Although “there’s always space for one, perhaps two, three positions,” Farke insisted he did not expect a major spending spree: “I’m very confident we won’t have a major turnaround in this window.”
Farke was asked about Facundo Buonanotte ahead of the game, but kept his cards close to his chest, even as the Argentine playmaker was already en route to Thorp Arch to complete his move. Buonanotte had come close to signing for Leeds last summer, only to change his mind at the eleventh hour after Chelsea came calling. Five months on, and with just 46 league minutes to his name, Brighton opted to cut short his Stamford Bridge loan, paving the way for Leeds to finally secure the creative addition they had missed out on in August and for him to potentially be involved this weekend.
Leeds’s recent run of form, including seven matches unbeaten before the Newcastle slip-up, speaks volumes about their collective belief. Talismanic forward, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, has been central to that upswing. After netting just once in his first ten appearances this season, he has scored eight goals in his last nine matches, on course to reach double figures for only the third time in a Premier League campaign following his 16-goal haul in 2020-21 and 13 in 2019-20. His predatory instincts could prove decisive against a Fulham backline stretched thin by absences.
