The one area Leeds United are most vulnerable, and Fulham already have a plan to exploit it
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Credit: IMAGO.
Oliver Walton
Wed 10 September 2025 17:33, UK
Leeds United have struggled in a particular area of their defensive efforts so far this season and Fulham look set to take advantage as they host the Whites at Craven Cottage this weekend.
Leeds won the Championship title at a canter last season, and they entered the summer window with a lot of optimism ahead of their return to the Premier League.
Leeds’ owners are now planning huge future investment.
Daniel Farke looked to bolster his options across the pitch by delving into the transfer market in the summer, but many fans felt they were left short at the back after Arsenal battered Leeds 5-0 in their first away game of the new campaign.
They were able to emerge with points in games against Everton and Newcastle, but a trip to Fulham will provide a tough test of Farke and his side’s top-flight credentials, with the Cottagers now into their fourth consecutive Premier League season after finishing 11th last term.
While Leeds believe they’re strong enough throughout the heart of their team despite their poor showing last time out on the road, one key element could be where they come unstuck in West London on Saturday.
Leeds United travel to Craven Cottage for Game Week 4 in the Premier League.
Credit: IMAGO.
Leeds are the second-worst team in the Premier League at defending set-pieces right now, with Man United being the only team that have conceded more xG from dead-balls in the division so far this season.
Farke needs to improve his side’s set-piece defending
The first goal that Farke’s side let in this season was from a corner as Jurrien Timber headed home to put the Gunners in the ascendancy, while he also poked home for his brace in that game after a scramble from another Declan Rice corner.
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The Whites also conceded a Viktor Gyokeres penalty that day, but while they were able to shut out both Everton and Newcastle, their set-piece woes are nothing new.
Farke’s side conceded the highest share of goals from set pieces in the 2024-25 Championship campaign, despite coming top of the league, while they also scored the lowest share themselves.
Leeds signed six-foot-four-inch tall Anton Stach and other bigger players like Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Jaka Bijol to try and help combat their issues, but that has clearly not worked so far.
Farke has history of struggling from such situations too, after Norwich conceded a league-high 16 set-piece goals in the 2019–20 season while he was in charge, and were dismally relegated with 21 points.
It is clear that they need to improve from set-pieces if they are to stay up this season, but their struggles look set to continue against Fulham this weekend.
Fulham have a secret weapon in their arsenal that could be the key to unlocking Leeds’ shaky defensive efforts from dead-balls.
The Cottagers recently hired Ali Melloul as their first ever set-piece coach over the summer, promoting him from being their Under-18s head coach to working with Marco Silva and his first-team.
Fulham’s new set-piece coach, Ali Melloul, will look to exploit Leeds United.
Credit: IMAGO.
Silva’s side only scored four goals from set-pieces in the Premier League last season, which was the worst record in the division, and so Melloul will now be working with him and his staff to “design set-piece strategies that are consistent with the club’s tactical approach” [Training Ground Guru].
Fulham have already demonstrated their new-found prowess from such situations, as Rodrigo Muniz fired home from a corner to salvage a point for them at Brighton on the opening day.
They can clearly capitalise on set-pieces to beat Leeds on Saturday, with everything above taken into account, and Farke’s men should be worried about what is to come this season if they lose a game that they need to be taking points from at Craven Cottage.