Preview: Leeds United

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Team news and Fabian Hurzeler's thoughts ahead of Saturday's game at the Amex.

2025-11-01T11:25+00:00

Fabian Hurzeler says Tommy Watson is 'definitely an option' to face Leeds United on Saturday. 📷Paul Hazlewood.

Albion protect an unbeaten Premier League record against Leeds United tomorrow at the Amex. We have won three and drawn three of the previous six meetings against the Whites at this level.

Team news

Fabian Hurzeler said there were no new injury concerns and there are unlikely to be many changes to the squad which faced Arsenal. “Kaoru Mitoma is back on the training pitch, and we hope to see him before the international break,” said Hurzeler. "And Tommy Watson is definitely an option to start the game. He's good in one-v-one duels and can cover big spaces in a short amount of time."

Fabian on Leeds…

"For me it's not a surprise, if you saw Leeds playing last season in the Championship they were already impressive. Then of course they have added new players - everyone who has been promoted this season has spent good money so they're all doing well which means the league is getting more and more competitive and equal. Just look at the table to see how close it is - a sign that the league is getting more and more competitive."

On Danny Welbeck's England hopes...

"I asked the question to the squad whether Danny Welbeck can play for England and they all agreed [he can]. That was the only time we've mentioned it. Let's see what happens. I'm very convinced of my players and I have a big belief that Danny will be able to play for England but I always try to emphasise that England has a great coach and he will make the right decisions. Let's see."

On the form of ex-Leeds player Georginio Rutter...

"I see a significant improvement but I see more potential in him. He's capable of doing more decision-making actions on the pitch, if it isn't scoring goals it's about always being present, staying alive all the time and being a good worker against the ball. But we can all see that he's made really good developments."

The importance of Saturday's game...

"Every game is important. Of course in the end it's about trying to win every game but, on the other side, it's about being there and focused on the small margins because if you focus on things you can't control, the results won't come. I'm 100 per cent convinced that we have the right characters, the right personalities, the right quality in our group to get results."

Match facts

Leeds are winless in their last nine away league games against Albion (D3 L6), since a 3-0 victory in November 2009 in League One under Simon Grayson.

Albion have kept a clean sheet in their last seven home league games against Leeds, their longest run without conceding against an opponent in their history. Meanwhile, Leeds have never gone eight away league games without a goal against another side (also 7 against Liverpool between March 1980 and August 1993).

The Amex Stadium is the ground at which Leeds have played most often in their history in all competitions without winning (9 games). In their last seven goalless games there, 30 different Leeds players have attempted a shot without success, three of whom have appeared for the Whites this season – Jack Harrison (4 shots), Pascal Struijk (2) and Dan James (2).

Leeds are looking to record consecutive Premier League victories for the first time since November 2022. They’ve followed up their last six Premier League wins with a draw and five defeats since they last won consecutive games.

Albion have kept just one clean sheet in their last 21 Premier League matches and have only kept a clean sheet in 17% of their games under manager Fabian Hürzeler (8/47), the lowest ratio of any of the four managers to take charge of the club in the Premier League.

Leeds had 26 more shots than their opponents in the Premier League during October (48 for, 22 faced), the third-best positive differential behind Arsenal and Man City (both 27). Despite this, the Whites conceded more goals (5) than they netted (3), with their opponents enjoying a 23% shot conversion rate, while Leeds converted just 6% of their attempts.

Substitutes have scored 16 Premier League goals for Albion in 2025 – only Albion themselves in 2023 (20) have ever seen more goals scored via subs in a calendar year (excl. own goals).

Sean Longstaff has two assists in the Premier League this season for Leeds, only ever registering more in one campaign (4 in 2022-23 for Newcastle). Longstaff has created 2.5 chances per 90 minutes in 2025-26 comfortably his best in a season in the Premier League.

James Milner – who made his Premier League debut in November 2002 for Leeds – assisted Charalampos Kostoulas against Man United for Brighton. This was both the biggest gap in age between a player assisting a team-mate (21 years and 146 days) and the first time in Premier League history a player had assisted another having made their debut before the scorer was born (Kostoulas b. May 2007).

Match officials