Leeds United vs Brighton: Where will the match be won and lost?

Both sides have garnered reputations for their expansive, attractive styles of play, both have shown plenty of promise against some of the biggest teams in the Premier League this season, and both are governed by managers who can count Pep Guardiola among their personal advocates.

But with so many similarities between the two sides, what are the key areas on which this weekend’s clash could hinge?

We’ve taken a closer look to try and determine where the match could be won – and lost.

Set-Pieces

An inability to consistently deal with threats from set-pieces is perhaps the biggest chink in Leeds’ armour.

A weakness from dead ball situations has been a constant bugbear for the Whites in recent years.

Last term, 15 of the 35 goals they conceded in the Championship came from set-pieces – a percentage of 42.8%. This season hasn’t been any better either, and Leeds’ tally of 16 goals conceded from set-pieces or penalties is considerably worse than any other side in the top flight.

Those 16 strikes represent just under half of the goals that Marcelo Bielsa’s side have shipped already in the Premier League, and yet more shakiness against League Two Crawley Town in the FA Cup on Sunday will have done little to calm lingering nerves around Elland Road this week.

If there is one consolation the Whites can take, however, it’s that Brighton aren’t exactly prolific from set-pieces themselves.

While Albion might have the second-highest number of goals from the penalty spot in the division this season, they have managed just three strikes from free-kicks or corners.

Only Fulham and Leicester City have fared worse in that department, but in Lewis Dunk, Adam Webster and Dan Burn, they possess three players with considerable aerial prowess who all stand at least 6’3” tall.

No doubt that will be a point that both managers are fully aware of, and it could be an area that Graham Potter looks to exploit.

The Midfield Battle

The absence of Kalvin Phillips could prove to be a real blow for Leeds on Saturday.

The England international has established himself as a poster boy for the Whites under the Argentine, but picked up a fifth booking of the season against Tottenham Hotspur in his last league outing, and will have to sit out Albion’s visit.

Immediately, that presents an issue for Marcelo Bielsa’s side in terms of their creativity.

Phillips has garnered widespread praise for his impressive distribution at the base of midfield this season, and the deep-lying quarterback role he has made his own is a key facet of the manner in which Leeds build their attacks.

Take his stats from the 5-0 win over West Brom in December as an example.

The Whites ran riot in that game, and it’s no coincidence that Phillips was on song with his passing display.

The 25-year-old made nine long passes, and found a teammate in the final third on nine separate occasions. The ability that gives Leeds to switch up the focal point of their attack, and to hit teams hard and fast at key moments in the match, is one of the cornerstones of Bielsa’s high-intensity approach, and without it, Leeds can look a little less incisive.

Again, it’s not a coincidence that Leeds lost two of the three matches that Phillips missed earlier in the season due to a shoulder injury.

With the Whites’ main man set to miss out, Pascal Struijk is the most likely candidate to replace him in front of the defence.

The Dutchman has given a decent account of himself whenever he has been called upon this term, but he lacks the same vision as his teammate, and in his last outing in midfield – the 6-2 defeat against Manchester United – he managed just two long passes after coming on at half-time, only one of which was played into the final third.

Of course, Phillips’ influence goes far beyond his passing ability.

His average of 2.9 tackles per game, for instance, is the highest in Bielsa’s squad this season.

Again, taking that presence out of the engine room is going to be a potential problem for the home side on Saturday afternoon.

Brighton’s midfield isn’t exactly short on talent either.

In Yves Bissouma, the Seagulls arguably have one of the breakout stars of 2020/21 on their hands.

The 24-year-old is being touted as a target for the likes of Arsenal and Liverpool following a number of accomplished performances this season, but there’s one aspect of his game in particular that could pose problems for Leeds.

Standing at 6’1”, the Malian is a rangy figure with a tendency to pick up the ball in central areas and carry his team forward.

So far this term, his average of 1.7 successful dribbles per match is second only to Solly March in Brighton's squad, and while his completion rate of 50% is no higher than Kalvin Phillips’, for example, his intent could be damaging for the hosts.

Leeds are renowned for their well-drilled, high-intensity pressing style, but at times this season it has seemed that they have struggled a little against teams who possess natural ball carriers who can beat a man and throw their defensive shape into disarray.

It's a point that Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson has made on more than one occasion, and given the manner in which Said Benrahma and Dan James – both players who were drafted into the starting XI specifically to face the Whites – shone in defeats against West Ham and Manchester United respectively, his opinion does appear to have been vindicated to some extent.

If Bissouma is allowed the opportunity to get on the ball and drive at Leeds, especially if Phillips isn’t there to temper his dominance in the centre of the park, it could be a pivotal aspect of the game.

The Return of Ben White

There were few players in the Premier League who had as many column inches dedicated to them as Ben White over the course of the summer.

The transfer saga that ultimately fizzled out into nothingness dominated headlines in both Yorkshire and Sussex, but Saturday will be the first time that the precocious centre-back has returned to Elland Road since he played such an integral role in the Whites’ promotion campaign last term.

Since then, he has taken to the Premier League like the proverbial duck to water.

The 23-year-old has been a virtual ever-present of Brighton’s defence this season, even stepping into the centre of midfield on occasion, and like Bissouma, he is another who is said to be attracting admiring glances from Anfield as a consequence of his impressive displays.

Leeds fans know all too well as to the ability he possesses on the ball, but in many ways, the challenges of playing in a team that come under a lot of pressure defensively on an almost weekly basis are allowing him to grow into a more complete player.

This season, for instance, his average number of interceptions per game and his aerial duel win rate have both increased, while his pass completion rate has fallen by just 2% – a minimal decrease that is made all the more excusable by the fact that he is making 0.89 more passes into the final third per game in the Premier League.

All in all, he is a player whose star continues to rise speedily, but if Potter does opt to play him at the heart of defence, he’ll more than likely come up against a former teammate who is enjoying something of a transformation himself.

Patrick Bamford has silenced his fair share of doubters with a stellar start to the campaign, and his tally of 10 goals in 17 top flight outings has far exceeded the expectations that many supporters held for him following Leeds’ promotion.

It’s hard to blame those detractors for having reservations either – the 27-year-old scored just 16 goals from a mammoth 131 shots in the Championship last term.

Reinvigorated and riding the crest of a wave of confidence, the forward poses a genuine threat to just about any Premier League centre-back at the moment, and the battle between him and his old mate White – should it come to pass – could prove to be a fascinating one.