Week two of the Premier League featured a clash between two newly-promoted clubs from the Championship. Leeds United, which left a good impression in their first game against Liverpool, received Fulham, who debuted losing to Arsenal. It was a poor first half for both sides, with no team being able to outplay the opposite pressing lines. Leeds’ adjustments in their build-up gave them a higher ball possession for the second half, for a deserved victory.
In this tactical analysis, we will analyze how Marcelo Bielsa shifted Leeds’ tactics to outplay Fulham high press. This analysis will also show how Leeds used their man-marking strategy when defending. Finally, we will cover the weaknesses of Leeds’ defensive and transitional style on this game, allowing Fulham to stay on the game.
Lineups
Bielsa made two changes from their first presentation using the same 4-1-4-1 formation. Leeds’ captain Liam Cooper made his return to the starting lineup, pairing Robin Koch as centre-back. The full-back pair kept unchanged with Luke Ayling and Stuart Dallas. The other change was in the midfield with Rodrigo Moreno making his starting debut due to the last-minute injury of Pablo Hernández.
Steve Parker placed a 4-2-3-1 formation introducing four changes from their last game, starting with Alphonse Aréola in goals. Kenny Tete replaced Tim Ream in the defensive line. André Zambo Anguissa paired Harrison Reed in the holding midfielder position. Fulham captain Aleksandar Mitrović returned after the injury as the lone striker, supported in the attack by the same players as last game with Ivan Cavaleiro, Josh Onomah, and Aboubakar Kamara.
