Fortress Elland Road: Leeds United’s insane home record under the lights under Daniel Farke | OneFootball

Leeds United are a different beast under the lights at Elland Road, with their 3-1 victory over Nottingham Forest just their latest excellent performance at home in an evening kick-off in the Daniel Farke era.

Since Farke arrived in 2023, Leeds are unbeaten on home soil in evening kick-offs on their own patch.

With a fervent atmosphere under the floodlights and the Kaiser Chiefs’ ‘I Predict A Riot’ blaring out of the speakers to soundtrack the inevitable post-match celebrations, Elland Road has helped give Leeds the edge.

Farke admitted that Leeds were second-best in last weekend’s 4-0 defeat to Arsenal, but he stressed they’ve otherwise been strong and competitive in every other home outing this season.

They’ve got a comfortably midtable and respectable home record this season, but there’s something different about evening kick-offs.

It’s 22 matches unbeaten – 19 wins and just three draws – in evening kick-offs under Farke.

Of their seven Premier League wins this season, five of them have been an evening kick-off at Elland Road, dispatching Everton, West Ham, Chelsea, Crystal Palace and now Nottingham Forest.

The wins against relegation rivals West Ham, Palace and Forest could prove particularly vital if they end up staying up – and OPTA now give Leeds just a 5% chance of going down.

“As a promoted side it’s always important to have your home stadium as a fortress and Elland Road is a fortress,” Farke told BBC Match Of The Day.

“We edge three points closer. We are happy tonight but tomorrow we go again.

“Perhaps we should apply to always have a kick-off here on a Friday evening. It’s then also to the boys to deliver. It’s important we use this atmosphere for emphatic performances.”

Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who has now reached double figures after last night’s goal – his best goalscoring campaign in five years – says that he feeds off the Elland Road crowd.

“That is all that you want as a striker the faith and belief of the club and the backing of the fans,” Calvert-Lewin told Sky Sports.

“The manager has put a lot of faith in me and I’d like to think I am repaying that and I am really enjoying my football and my time here and leading the line as I always have done.”

We’ve compiled some of the best reactions to Leeds United’s home record after another Fortress Elland Road masterclass last night: