Leeds United's killer response to Farke request revealed as Whites match record 106-point finish pace

Leeds' 4-0 dismantling of Swansea City on Tuesday night was conducted with a ruthless streak gradually becoming increasingly common under Daniel Farke, and a growing sense of inevitability, both of which were synonymous with Farke's title-winning Norwich City sides.

United went in search of their seventh straight league win and found it, all too easily for opposition boss Luke Williams' liking, who dubbed his team's performance 'too timid'. The lack of mercy in Leeds' attacking play has become a trademark of Farke's young group, particularly in 2024, their performances harking back to the German's plea at the beginning of the season that his team needed to exhibit greater dominance when going in front and in finding the first goal.

Draws with Sheffield Wednesday and Rotherham United, both teams marooned in the bottom three, felt like missed opportunities given the wealth of available options and attacking talent at Farke's disposal, leading the manager to publicly implore his team to keep their feet on the throats of their opponents. It was a vivid depiction of what he hoped his side could achieve during the second half of the campaign and as seven league wins in-a-row has proven, Leeds have heeded Farke's advice.

Since the turn of the year, United have won by three goals or more - without reply - on four occasions, seeing off a turgid Birmingham City, Cardiff City, Rotherham United and latterly Swansea. While not the strongest opponents on paper, Leeds did in fact draw against all but one of those teams during the reverse fixtures in the first half of the season. Moreover, during the first 23 games of this 46 Championship campaign, Leeds recorded wins by three goals-or-more in just four matches, a tally they have matched already in the nine that have followed.

To describe the current iteration of Farke's Leeds as a freight train would be premature, even if they are playing with the handbrake off right now. Only in recent weeks have they crept into the top two, and due to games in hand for teams below them, there is no guarantee they will remain there. But, like the win over Swansea, there is a growing sense of inevitability that the wins will continue unabated. Leeds' star players remain fit, while their strength in depth is impressive and has performed impressively when called upon. Not to mention, Farke's Norwich went on similar winning runs and unbeaten streaks during the second halves of his two previous title-winning Championship campaigns. He's done it before and this time, arguably, the squad at his disposal is more talented.

Perhaps most strikingly, Leeds are the only team in the Championship to remain unbeaten when scoring the first goal this season. Farke's men have presided over 15 wins and two draws when scoring first - a record no other side can match in the second or third tiers of English football. Few images personify this relentless effort quite like Leeds keeping their big Size 12 on the throats of their opponents. When going a goal up, rarely is mercy on their minds.

This is accentuated further by the fact Leeds have conceded just five times in matches after taking the lead, while scoring 39. Once in the ascendancy, there is no letting up - exactly what Farke asked of his players and what is necessary if they are to continue their assault on the automatic promotion places.

Somewhat unsurprisingly, considering how ruthless and resolute Leeds have been of late, United also have a 100 per cent record in the Championship this season when leading at half-time. Fourteen times they have gone in at the break with their tails up and 14 times they have seen out the result. Leicester have also won 14 times when leading at half-time, but they've also lost on one occasion and drawn three times. Southampton and Ipswich, meanwhile, are both, like Leeds, unbeaten when at least a goal up after 45 minutes, but the Saints have been pegged back to draw three times and Ipswich's 100 per cent record only amounts to 12 games, two shy of Farke's side.

Increasingly so, teams have needed to be relentless in the Championship if they are to return to the Promised Land of Premier League football. Last season, Burnley were oft-described as the most accomplished team in the division's history with a points-per-game average (PPG) of 2.20 by the time all 46 games were up. Remarkably, this year Leicester are on course to hit 112 points, if in the final third of the season they can maintain their results in the first two-thirds.

But, as Farke reiterates time and time again in his pre-and-post-match press conferences, not until the final few weeks of the season will anybody at Elland Road be admitting to paying attention to Leicester, Southampton or Ipswich - all Leeds have to do is keep winning, and that's exactly what they're doing. Over the last 23 matches, Leeds' PPG is 2.30 - equal to that of Reading in 2005/06 who hold the record for most points in a single Championship campaign with 106.

It's incredibly likely Leeds' winning streak will come to a halt at some stage, but Southampton's own 25-match unbeaten run stretching back to September, broken by Bristol City this week, indicates there is every chance Leeds can keep it up. Much to the annoyance of their promotion rivals, United are refusing to be shaken off by the Foxes, and in 2024 have used their elbows - looking at you, Patrick Bamford - to jostle for the lead amongst a chasing pack which has shown signs of fatigue in keeping pace with Enzo Maresca's pass-and-move juggernaut.

Barring an almighty collapse in the East Midlands, second place is the prize on every Leeds supporter's minds. The message is simple: keep scoring first, keep seeing out results and keep your foot on their throats.