On paper, November looked like it could prove to be a tricky month for Daniel Farke’s Leeds United. Book-ended by trips to Brighton & Hove Albion and Manchester City, the Whites also faced UEFA Europa League sides Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa.
Prior to the opener with the Seagulls, the boss expected a tough challenge on the South Coast against an established Premier League side looking to qualify for continental football once more. And so the afternoon turned out to be as the hosts ran out comfortable victors in what would be one of the few encounters United never truly laid a glove on the opposition through the campaign.
“Yes, we don’t have to overanalyse this game,” Farke admitted afterwards. “They were the better side today and deserve to win this game and for that, you have to say congratulations. It was not our day today, there were a few key moments. For that, we have to accept the loss.”
Keen to get back to winning ways, Lukas Nmecha’s excellently taken effort – drilled into the bottom corner from the edge of the area at the City Ground – fired the Whites into the lead against Nottingham Forest but the hosts quickly levelled, completing the turnaround after the break.
The final of three international breaks to interfere with a stop-start beginning to the campaign followed, notably pitting two United teammates against one another as Gabriel Gudmundsson’s Sweden played out a 1-1 draw with Jaka Bijol’s Slovenia at Stockholm’s Strawberry Arena. Elsewhere, Daniel James was on target as our Welsh contingent dismantled North Macedonia 7-1 in Cardiff.
Returning to Elland Road, Nmecha was again on the scorsheet to put Farke’s side a goal to the good against Aston Villa, until a Morgan Rogers brace after the interval saw the Birmingham outfit return to the West Midlands with all three points.
Despite November’s results, striker Nmecha, who arrived in the summer from Bundesliga side VfL Wolfsburg on a free transfer, was in fine form and he continued an impressive month with an equaliser against former employers Manchester City. The Whites were two goals behind at the break – a half-time team talk that would become the focus of pundits for the rest of the season was delivered – and after switching to a back three, Leeds levelled through Dominic Calvert-Lewin and the German forward.
Phil Foden’s injury time effort won it for City but Nmecha was confident the team had what was needed to recapture their form, telling LUTV: “We worked really hard in the second half and to give it away like that is sad but we have got to keep going. The belief is there. We have a good team and I think we showed it today, definitely in the second half. We are physical, technically good and strong. Yeah, I think we can do we can do a lot of good things this season.”
“We didn’t come here for warm words or for compliments,” Farke then explained. “We traveled here to win points and for that, the overriding emotions that we are disappointed with this result. On the other hand, of course, terrific performance – especially in the second half. Let’s just take so much confidence and pride out of this, especially second half.”
Giving a tactical insight into the much-discussed change to the system at the break, the boss added: “We had similar principles also in the in the first half but wasn’t really happy with the execution and changed also a bit our passing angles against their pressing in possession in order to control the game better.
“So, it is more like we gained control back. We gained the momentum back. We were able to keep the ball better to bring the game forward, to create chances, to score goals. My Leeds are so united together. So, the belief was there before the game, during the game and also right now after the game. We know that we if we show further on this quality together with this unity and this fighting spirit, we have a chance in each and every game.”
