Leeds vs Spurs and Chelsea vs Liverpool: The Narrative.

Lineups, Tactical Battles and Predictions.

For GW7 on The Narrative we’re analysing:

•⁠ Leeds vs Spurs

• Chelsea vs Liverpool

This week’s Fan Voice Note is from Talent ID Scout and Analyst Sam, aka @CFCCentral3, who isn’t confident about Chelsea’s chances against an out-of-form Liverpool. 🗣️📱

Toughest Elland Road Test

Leeds United will be undefeated at Elland Road for 384 days by the time Daniel Farke’s men take to the field on Saturday, and it will take an assured, confident performance from Thomas Frank’s Tottenham Hotspur to bring that run to an end.

Both teams will be content with their starts to the season: Leeds already have a four point buffer above the relegation zone, and Spurs have kept pace with the top four across the opening six game weeks. Yet Saturday, heading into the campaign’s second international break, will decide whether either team is more than just content.

A Leeds win will likely see them enter the table’s top half, but if Frank’s men can get a result on the road, their recent draws against Wolves and Bodo/Glimt will quickly become a distant memory.

The Fortress of Yorkshire

Many will attribute Leeds’ home form to elements of the game that are largely intangible: opponents being wary of the fiery Elland Road atmosphere, players giving that ‘extra 5%’ because Leeds fans wouldn’t accept anything else.

Yet having held two of the Premier League’s most consistent performers, Newcastle and Bournemouth, to draws so far this season, there are clearly tactical, more easily measured strategies that Farke has instilled in his side in order for them to perform so strongly at home.

Take Bournemouth last weekend, for example. The Cherries claimed away scalps including Arsenal and Newcastle last season, with Andoni Iraola employing an intelligent high-press which frequently unsettled teams in front of their own fans, while remaining entirely infallible themselves.

Yet when they travelled to Elland Road, they looked not only unsure, but actually vulnerable due to how Farke set out his stall.

In the image above, Leeds have successfully drawn out, and played through, the Bournemouth forward line. But due to the Cherries’ hybrid press overloading bodies on one side (in a bid to win the ball back), they are forced to play the ball quickly.

His teammates are aware of this, and as a result Noah Okafor drops in to receive a pass under close pressure. With Bournemouth being man-to-man, successful build-up often hinges on players being able to win individual duels.

And that’s exactly what Okafor does, overpowering the Bournemouth midfield and laying the ball into space in order for Leeds to mount an attack in behind. It’s the kind of tactic that only works when your players feel compelled to give that little bit more to every involvement they have over the course of a game.

Frank’s Gameplan

Farke has expertly crafted a style of play that perfectly suits Leeds’ identity of always giving 110%, especially at home. But how could that come into play against Tottenham?

Frank has previously expressed that a high press is a “non-negotiable” for his Tottenham side, and that will surely be the case on Saturday.

Against Wolves, Spurs employed a man-to-man press with Lucas Bergvall playing a hybrid role between closing down the goalkeeper and narrowing a passing lane into midfield.

As such, below is how Leeds will expect Tottenham to look when Karl Darlow, the Leeds goalkeeper, is in possession. At least one of the Spurs wingers will attach himself to one of the centre-backs to limit the goalkeeper’s short options.

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Yet the image above comes at the start of a passage of play in which Wolves break through Spurs’ press, and end up in the final third. Spurs press high, but they’re not ultra-aggressive. They prefer to maintain an overload at the back – note how Micky Van de Ven and Christian Romero are both marking Dominic Calvert-Lewin in the image below – meaning that the opponent will have a spare player. In this case, it would be Gabriel Gudmonsson who offers Darlow an ‘out ball’.

This will be pivotal to the outcome of Saturday’s game – particularly in the early stages. Spurs are yet to win a game in which they have conceded first this season, so if Leeds can utilise their ability to progress the ball and assert themselves over Tottenham, Frank’s men might be in for a tricky afternoon.

Tottenham’s Problem-Solving

It’s well documented that Frank is currently fighting with one arm behind his back, with Dominic Solanke and James Maddison among the list of Tottenham’s attacking injuries. As such, the Dane has had to find a way for his team to create high-quality chances.

Richarlison has been the forward chosen to lead the line so far this season, and his three league goals have helped Spurs to eleven points of a possible eighteen. But as a different type of player to Solanke, Frank has adapted his team’s forward line to better suit the Brazilian’s style of play.

Richarlison thrives on using relationships with his teammates to link-up attacks. As such, Frank has encouraged his players to drive into the box to provide a more direct attacking threat.

Below, Bergvall and Destiny Udogie have positioned themselves either side of Richarlison to support the Spurs number nine in the box, rather than having players deeper in order to better circulate possession. It’s an increased risk (as it also weakens Spurs’ rest defence), but one Frank has accepted in an attempt to solve their attacking issues.

In emptying the midfield, the importance of summer signing Joao Palhinha becomes even more prominent. On Saturday, he will have moments acting as a sole central midfielder – making the Portuguese’s composure in possession, and his intelligent defensive positioning, vital to Tottenham’s potential success.

Leeds To Continue Unbeaten Run

It’s easy to frame this game as a ‘must win’ for Tottenham: one of England’s superpowers visiting one of the promoted sides – but that ignores much of the great work Farke has done at Elland Road. Leeds won’t see themselves as underdogs, and will be expected to at least start on the front foot on Saturday.

It’s very feasible that Leeds ‘flying out the blocks’ catches Tottenham out early on, but it’s equally difficult to ignore the quality of the likes of Richarlison, Mohammed Kudus and Xavi Simons at the sharp end of Spurs’ attack. Both teams are likely to score, but given Leeds’ recent home record, predicting that Farke’s side will lose seems foolish.

Score Prediction: 1-1

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