Reason for optimism

[Getty Images] Two wins and two draws have taken Leeds up to third in the Premier League after four games, with only Manchester City and Arsenal having more points. After securing safety on their return to the top flight last season with a 14th-place finish, this is a start Leeds fans would have dreamed of. In fact, only in 1995-96, 1998-99, 2001-02, and now 2026-27 have Leeds avoided defeat in each of their first four in the competition in the Premier League era. And that is not the only positive, as Elland Road is becoming the fortress Daniel Farke will have hoped for, with their last defeat coming on 3 March. Dominic Calvert-Lewin was at his physical best against the team he has more goals against than any other. The Leeds number nine certainly shows up at home. Since the start of last season, only Erling Haaland (16) and Igor Thiago (13) have scored more Premier League home goals than Calvert-Lewin's 10. It is hard to know what Leeds' true ambitions are this term, but they may be using Sunderland's seventh-place finish last season as an example of what is achievable.