Why Leeds' best form of defence in the top flight might be attack

The last few Premier League tables offer little in the way of encouragement for a newly promoted team like Leeds United but they do tell stories worth listening to.

- by Graham Smyth

Last season's table, with its three new boys all finishing in the relegation zone, told a tale of a widening gulf between the Championship and the Premier League. It was a sequel, really, because the 2023/24 table started the ball rolling on the 'straight back down you go' narrative.

The 2024/25 Premier League table also told a story about the importance of goals. Ipswich Town were the top scorers of the bottom three with 36. Tottenham Hotspur in 17th scored 64. The teams in the bottom half who escaped the drop scored an average of 50 times in their 38 games.

Looking back at recent top-flight tables, you will learn that it's possible to score as many as 50 goals and still go down. Luton Town and Leicester City both did it. Leeds nearly did in the season that saw them returned to the Championship, hitting 48.

People often talk about the importance of a 'proven Premier League striker' or, at the very least, a goalscorer in your squad capable of hitting double figures from wherever he operates in your front line.