The data behind Leeds' start

Unbeaten Leeds United look every inch an established Premier League team in their second season since promotion, with boss Daniel Farke sticking to the formula that took them to an impressive 14th-place finish last term.

The Yorkshire side have prioritised recruiting players with outstanding physical attributes since going up, and that approach has continued to pay dividends in the early weeks of the campaign. Farke's side have won more duels, made more interceptions and completed more headed clearances than any other team.

They have also been one of the league's most direct sides and the most reliant on dead-ball situations, with more than 40% of Leeds' expected goals total this term coming from set pieces - the highest proportion in the top flight.

When Leeds do threaten from open play, Dominic Calvert-Lewin is usually at the heart of it. The rejuvenated striker ranks third in the league for open-play xG, and signing him on a free transfer in August 2025 increasingly appears to be a masterstroke.

He has scored 17 Premier League goals since the start of last season - a tally bettered by only four players, none of them English. The 29-year-old has also won 24 aerial duels this term, the league's third-highest total, and ranks third for pressures applied in the final third.