Farke must immediately drop Leeds flop who was worse than Bijol vs Chelsea

Leeds United’s impressive Premier League momentum continued on Tuesday night as they battled back to earn a gritty 2-2 draw away at Chelsea, extending a run that shows little sign of slowing down.

Daniel Farke’s side appeared on course for a rare defeat in the top flight when goals from Joao Pedro and Cole Palmer put the hosts firmly in control. Chelsea dominated large spells and looked set to collect all three points at Stamford Bridge.

But Leeds’ resilience shone through after the break. Lukas Nmecha struck for the sixth time this season to pull the visitors back into the contest, and just six minutes later they were level.

A chaotic scramble in the Chelsea penalty area saw the ball fall kindly to Noah Okafor, who calmly tapped in to score for the second game in a row and complete a spirited comeback.

Despite the positive result, not every Leeds player emerged with credit, and several starters struggled badly enough to put their places in Farke’s starting XI under threat.

Underwhelming performances against Chelsea

Brenden Aaronson, who has revived his Leeds career during the 2025/26 campaign, endured a subdued evening by his usual standards.

The American midfielder was withdrawn late on but failed to impose himself, creating no chances, completing no dribbles, and failing to connect with any of his attempted crosses.

Aaronson also saw very little of the ball, registering just 26 touches, which limited his influence on the match and contributed to an overall quiet display.

At the back, Jaka Bijol also failed to impress in his first league start for over a month. The Slovenian centre-back conceded a needless second-half penalty after shoving Pedro inside the area, a costly lapse that handed Chelsea a route back into the game.

Bijol struggled defensively throughout, failing to make a single tackle and recording just one block, with his lack of recent match sharpness evident over the 90 minutes.

The defender who may need to make way

Leeds’ form in recent weeks has been strong, with just two defeats in their last 13 league outings, a run that has lifted them six points clear of the relegation zone with 12 games remaining.

Farke’s switch to a back three has played a major role in that resurgence, tightening the defence while still allowing attacking players to flourish.

However, the decision to hand a rare start to Sebastiaan Bornauw against Chelsea now appears questionable.

The Belgian defender, signed from Wolfsburg in the summer, had started just three league matches prior to the draw, and his performance underlined why he has struggled to cement a regular place.

Partnering Bijol and Joe Rodon in central defence, Bornauw endured a torrid outing and was substituted after just 55 minutes, making way for goalscorer Okafor.

His statistics reflected a difficult night: only 24 touches, an 85% pass completion rate, and possession lost six times.

Defensively, Bornauw fared little better. He failed to make a single tackle, committed two fouls, and was booked, while also winning just 33% of his aerial duels and being dribbled past twice.

His struggles were further highlighted by a 4/10 match rating from journalist Graham Smyth.

Farke’s tactical adjustments have undoubtedly put Leeds in a strong position to survive this season, but if the Whites are to establish themselves as a Premier League side again in 2026/27, the manager may need to look beyond Bornauw when selecting his central defensive options.