Leeds United have experienced a fantastic December so far in the Premier League, but they will still be tested across the congested fixture schedule ahead.
Indeed, the fixtures come thick and fast between now and the New Year, with an away trip to a formidable Sunderland next up after the Christmas festivities have died down, before tricky clashes against Liverpool and Manchester United see out 2025 and start 2026.
Daniel Farke will know the true resolve of his side after this quickfire patch of matches is complete, with their unbeaten run – which has seen them topple both Chelsea and Crystal Palace – in danger of fizzling out if the schedule becomes too intense.
Therefore, despite Leeds coming into the Sunderland away match off the back of a 4-1 triumph over Palace, some changes could be on the horizon in Farke’s starting XI…
What Farke's lineup could look like vs Sunderland
Of course, it would be silly to expect any wholesale alterations, with Leeds’ performance against Oliver Glasner’s dismal Eagles lauded as “outstanding” by The Athletic’s Beren Cross.
Off the back of such a resounding win, it’s unlikely that Dominic Calvert-Lewin will be axed, as a stunning brace came his way at Elland Road to take his Premier League goal tally for the season to a mighty seven.
Moreover, Ethan Ampadu will also be a shoo-in for the starting XI on Wearside, as the Whites captain grabbed his first-ever strike in the top-flight in that emphatic victory.
Could Farke be tempted to switch out his goalkeeper personnel, though? It was another shaky display from Lucas Perri against the travelling Eagles, with the ex-Lyon stopper barely threatened throughout, before fishing out Justin Devenny’s last-minute penalty.
Moreover, for the tough test of Sunderland to come, who have the likes of Granit Xhaka in their midfield, the ex-Norwich City manager could well be tempted to start Ao Tanaka over Brenden Aaronson, with the Japan international popping up with big goals against Liverpool and Chelsea in December to make it a very memorable month personally.
There is another potential surprise alteration that would shock the fanbase if it happened.
Farke could drop Leeds' "difference maker"
Thankfully, other members of Farke’s main XI came to the forefront to deliver such a swashbuckling display, as Anton Stach also got in on the goalscoring act with a beautifully taken free-kick.
Still, Noah Okafor’s lack of attacking impetus shouldn’t go unnoticed, with the ex-AC Milan attacker dubbed a “fearless” performer when at his very best in Leeds white by scout Antonio Mango, which is further backed up by Leeds-based content creator Oscar Marrio hailing him as a “difference maker” for the side when scoring versus Wolverhampton Wanderers towards the start of the season.
Okafor vs Crystal Palace
Stat
Okafor
Minutes played
77
Goals scored
0
Assists
0
Touches
26
Shots
0
Accurate passes
7/10 (70%)
Accurate crosses
0/2
Successful dribbles
3/6
Total duels won
5/10
Stats by Sofascore
That said, he wasn’t anywhere near those levels against Glasner’s visitors, with Okafor coming off at the end of the one-sided affair with zero shots registered at Dean Henderson’s leaky goal, only 50% of his dribbles being completed, and just seven accurate passes registered.
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To make matters worse, the often criticised Perri even managed to accumulate more touches of the ball than the out-of-sorts number 19, with the Brazilian amassing 58 touches of the ball overall, next to Okafor’s 26.
Wilfried Gnonto might feel he’s ready for only his fifth start of the league campaign in place of the hit-and-miss 25-year-old, therefore, who doesn’t have a single goal contribution next to his name in December, despite Leeds’ notable upturn in form.
On the contrary, the lively Italian managed to pick up an assist against Brentford from only 17 minutes of action, with the dimunitive forward also living up to his reputation for being an “explosive” attacking presence – as he was once labelled by the aforementioned Mango – when registering one effort at the Palace goal and successfully winning three tackles and duels, from just a 13-minute run-out.
Unleashing Gnonto might well be a smart move to try and trip up a rock-solid Sunderland defence, with Okafor afforded a breather, ahead of the bumper fixture list Leeds still have to tackle, as January looms large.
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