Leeds United will face a major test of their Championship promotion credentials on Friday night.
Following their play-off final defeat to Southampton at the conclusion of previous season, Daniel Farke’s side entered the current season as one of the favourites to gain promotion to the Premier League.
The Whites have had some positive early-season performances, and they are presently sixth in the league with 15 points from eight games.
Leeds United’s upcoming game on Friday will be a crucial step towards regaining their top-flight status.
Sunderland can be a big test for Leeds United
Farke’s team will go to the Stadium of Light on Friday to face a dangerous-looking Sunderland side.
Under new manager Regis Le Bris, the Black Cats have had an outstanding start to the season.
They had six wins from their first eight league games, including a triumph at the Stadium of Light over Burnley, who were relegated from the Premier League the previous season.
As a result, they enter Friday night’s encounter at the top of the Championship rankings, having scored 16 league goals, more than any other team in the division.
This will undoubtedly be a difficult assignment for Leeds United, particularly their defenders.
However, one member of their backline may be happy that he is not facing a more difficult test than he would have if events over the summer had not occurred.
Jayden Bogle will not have Jack Clarke test on Friday
Jayden Bogle, who joined Leeds from Sheffield United in the summer, has had an excellent start to his career in Yorkshire.
The right-back has been a consistent starter in the league, putting in some excellent defensive efforts and scoring a goal in the recent win over Coventry City.
| Jayden Bogle 2024/25 Championship stats for Leeds United – from SofaScore | |
|---|---|
| Appearances | 8 |
| Goals | 1 |
| Assists | 0 |
| Pass Success Rate | 81% |
| Tackles per Game | 2.4 |
| Balls Recovered per Game | 3.1 |
| Clearances per Game | 2 |
| Dribble Success Rate | 60% |
| Duel Success Rate | 60% |
| As of 3rd October 2024 | |
Bogle will have another opportunity to demonstrate his value to his new club in the upcoming game against Sunderland on Friday.
However, one other change made this summer means the Leeds player will face one fewer threat on Friday than he would have otherwise.
In August, Jack Clarke left Sunderland to join newly promoted Premier League side Ipswich Town for a reputed £15 million.
The Tractor Boys’ decision to sign the left-winger may have made Bogle’s job easier on Friday night.
Given his own role on the right side of defence, the 24-year-old would have been primarily responsible for dealing with Clarke this weekend if he was still at the Stadium of Light.
The winger’s success in the Championship with Sunderland made it a challenging challenge.
Clarke scored 25 goals and assisted 17 times in 87 Championship games while playing for the Black Cats in the second division.
During his time at Sunderland over the last few seasons, he was widely regarded as one of the division’s most potent individual offensive threats.
He has maintained his form since his promotion to the Premier League, recording his first assist in Ipswich’s 2-2 draw with Aston Villa on Sunday.
That was probably made more stunning by Villa’s subsequent 1-0 Champions League success over German heavyweights Bayern Munich, which highlighted the brilliance of Clarke and co’s performance.
So, with the former Sunderland man already demonstrating his Premier League pedigree, he would undoubtedly have posed a significant task for Bogle if he had played for the Black Cats on Friday.
The Leeds manager may not be satisfied with Ipswich’s ability to sign Clarke before the summer window closed.
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