Premier League relegation battle: Leeds beat Burnley to put pressure on others

If Leeds are able to retain their top-flight status, most supporters will likely see wins against arch rivals Wolves, Burnley and West Ham as the defining moments of the season.

But Fark is almost certain to share a different perspective.

The 49-year-old is more likely to point to the 3-2 defeat to Manchester City at the end of November as the moment his team’s fortunes changed – and the numbers back it up.

After goals from Phil Foden and Josco Guardiol put City 2–0 up inside 25 minutes, Leeds were worried about what was to come.

That was until Farke took a risk and switched from a 4-3-3 to a 3-5-2, recalling Calvert-Lewin and defender Jaka Bijol from the bench.

This was a tactical change that allowed Leeds an extra man in midfield and, crucially, offered summer signing Calvert-Lewin additional support in attack.

Although Leeds snatched a point from their grasp when Foden scored a stoppage-time winner, the performance – and a new tactical blueprint – provided both the club and Farke with a path to redemption.

Leeds bounced back from defeat against Pep Guardiola’s side by taking four points from a possible six in the next two matches against Chelsea and defending champions Liverpool.

“He was really under pressure; there was a lot of talk about his job – other managers were being criticised – and you thought if he lost against Manchester City, he would lose his job,” ex-Liverpool and Spurs midfielder Jamie Redknapp said on Sky Sports.

“They didn’t win that game, but they changed the system that day and played with a lot of promise and since then they’ve been fantastic and going from strength to strength.

“The points he has scored since the beginning of December are fantastic.”

Since then, Leeds have lost only four out of a possible 19 league games – the ninth-best record in the division.

As a result, Farke is on track to lead a team to Premier League survival for the first time in his career after failing to do so while in charge of Norwich.