Daniel Farke's revival had felt nothing short of miraculous. Just five games ago, the German coach looked destined for the managerial scrap heap; fast-forward and you’d be forgiven for nominating him as the inaugural winner of a Nobel Prize in Football Management (if such an accolade existed). His latest tactical masterstroke, a switch to a 4-2-1-3 formation against Crystal Palace, had Joe Rodon deputising at right-back and Sam Bogle drifting in from the right of the front three, and it paid instant dividends. Leeds not only secured three valuable points but showcased a newfound ruthlessness among his players

In fact, only Manchester City (12 points), Aston Villa (9) and Arsenal (9) have amassed more points in December than Leeds (8), and it is no coincidence that set-piece excellence lies at the heart of this resurgence. All four of Leeds’s goals sprang from set-piece situations a striking turnaround, given how set pieces have been such a glaring weakness in recent seasons. What makes the story even richer is that Leeds remain one of just three Premier League outfits without a dedicated set-piece coach. Instead, Farke has entrusted long-time ally Edmund Riemer with polishing routines in training, and the results have been spectacular: 12 goals from set plays so far, more than any top-flight side this term, with traditional giants Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal trailing on ten apiece.

The weekend also saw another piece of history, as Anton Stach became the first Leeds player since Ian Harte in 2002–03 to bag two or more direct free-kicks in a single Premier League season. It’s this sort of individual flair married to collective resolve that has put smiles back on Elland Road and silenced the doubters. In just five matches, Farke has transformed a team in freefall into one that feels tactically flexible, defensively solid and offensively potent. If football management were ever recognized alongside chemistry or economics, Daniel Farke might already be drafting his acceptance speech. For now, though, he’ll settle for more points on the board, as Leeds pull further away from the drop zone.

	Line Up		Nat	Match Events
	1	Perri, Lucas Goalkeeper			7.3
	2	Bogle, Jayden Defender			7.3
	3	Gudmundsson, Gabriel Defender			7.7
	6	Rodon, Joe Defender			8.3
	15	Bijol, Jaka Defender			8.4
	15	Struijk, Pascal Defender			8.3
	4	Ampadu, Ethan Midfielder			9.0
	18	Stach, Anton Midfielder			9.1
	11	Aaronson, Brenden Midfielder			8.3
	19	Okafor, Noah Midfielder			6.0
	9	Calvert-Lewin, Dominic Forward			★9.1
	Subs		Nat	Match Events
	22	Tanaka, Ao Midfielder			6.2
	29	Gnonto, Wilfried Midfielder			7.4
	24	Justin, James Defender			6.2
	44	Gruev, Ilia Midfielder			6.0
	10	Piroe, Joel Forward			5.3
	23	Bornauw, Sebastiaan Defender		Unused Sub
	25	Byram, Sam Defender		Unused Sub
	26	Darlow, Karl Goalkeeper		Unused Sub
	20	Harrison, Jack Midfielder		Unused Sub