Leeds United’s start to the 2025/26 Premier League season has been impressive. The Whites have begun strongly in their return to the top flight, after two seasons in the Championship.
Of course, their promotion campaign last term was one of complete dominance under Daniel Farke.
They’ve already picked up eight points this season, which, according to Understat, is actually below the number of expected points. That tally sits at 9.96xPTS, which places the West Yorkshire outfit 10th in the table for that specific metric.
After a big summer transfer window, this Leeds side has a new look, with a few of their integral player from the Championship success struggling to get into the side this term.
It might be strange to see a couple of players from Farke’s dominant side last season, now struggling to get any sort of regular gametime this term. One of those is midfielder Ao Tanaka, who was a key cog in the middle of the park in 2024/25.
Yet, the Japanese international simply can’t get a look in, with Farke’s midfield signings of Sean Longstaff and Anton Stach preferred.
Last season, he played 43 times in the Championship, chipping in with seven goal involvements. So far this term, he’s only played 181 minutes of top-flight football.
Midfielder Tanaka is not the only player who falls into this category. Centre-forward Joel Piroe was a key player for Farke last season, scoring 19 times in 43 games, backing up his 13 goals from the season before.
He even bagged four goals in a single game against Stoke City.
After signing Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Lukas Nmecha, however, Piroe simply can’t get a look in. He’s played fewer minutes in the top flight than Tanaka, racking up 147 across just three appearances this season.
He hasn’t scored yet, either.
There is one Leeds player who has played even fewer minutes this season, despite an important role in the 2024/25 campaign.
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The start to the new season has shown that Farke is not afraid to make some big calls and replace the players who were so integral last season. You could call it a lack of loyalty, although it is a decision that is proving to be correct so far.
Another player who falls into the same category is goalkeeper Illan Meslier. Once described by Farke as “the best goalkeeper in the league,” he’s now fallen down the pecking order and can’t get into the Whites’ starting lineup.
Last term, the 25-year-old was, for much of the season, Leeds’ first-choice shot-stopper. He played the first 39 games of the season, but for the last seven, he was dropped from the side, following a string of mistakes.
That included his remarkable error against Sunderland.
It was not just that moment against the Black Cats, but “numerous monumental errors,” that cost him his place, according to Jonathan Buchan, BBC Radio Leeds Sports Editor.
As a result, Meslier has not played a single minute this season.
There are stats that back up this poor form on display from the goalkeeper, who was born in Lorient. For example, last season he averaged minus 3.11 goals prevented, meaning he conceded three extra goals than he should have.
|
Meslier – 24/25 Championship |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Stat |
Per 90 mins |
Season total |
|
Goals conceded |
0.7 |
27 |
|
Saves made |
1.7 |
65 |
|
Long balls completed |
98 |
2.5 |
|
Goals prevented |
-0.08 |
-3.11 |
|
Stats from Sofascore |
||
Perhaps it is time for Leeds to move on from the Frenchman. He is the second choice behind Karl Darlow at the moment, and when summer signing Lucas Perri returns, it is surely safe to assume he will become Farke’s third choice.
It is a sad fall from grace for a goalkeeper once so highly rated by Farke. Yet, with the number of mistakes made by Meslier over the last 12 months in particular, it is understandable why he has been dropped, especially in the pressure cooker of the Premier League.
