Joe Cole believes that Leeds are capable of causing serious problems for most Premier League teams, but the race for European football this season could prove too challenging for Daniel Farke's side.
Leeds suffered their first defeat of the campaign, going down 2-1 to Arsenal. The team looked confident for large parts of the match, even taking an early lead through a goal from James Justin.
Riccardo Calafiori equalised, before Bruno Guimaraes secured victory for the reigning champions.
Despite the result, Cole was impressed with Leeds’ performance over the course of the match.
He stated:
I wouldn’t say that qualifying for Europe is a realistic target for Leeds this season, but it’s certainly a possibility.
Daniel Farke has done a fantastic job. When the team returned to the Premier League, they clearly looked at clubs who tried to play pretty football and chose a different route.
Cole particularly highlighted the team's physicality and set-piece ability.
They’ve recruited some physical players and have become very efficient both attacking and defending set-pieces.
They have their own style, and signing Dominic Calvert-Lewin on a free was a brilliant move.
According to the former Chelsea player, Leeds have enough quality to aspire for higher placements in the league.
They possess strong physical attributes. Ethan Ampadu is doing an excellent job leading the team.
There’s Justin, Tanaka, Okafor, Longstaff, Aaronson, Wilson. This side has goals and quality.
However, Cole believes the main issue lies in the depth of the squad and the level of competition in the Premier League.
They can dream, but I think breaking into the European spots will be quite tough. There are just too many strong teams around.
In my view, Europe is perhaps a bit too far for them this season.
That said, the defeat to Arsenal is unlikely to have a significant impact on the team's confidence. Leeds demonstrated once again that they can impose an intense, physically demanding game and maintain a high level for long periods.
If Farke's side can maintain consistency and avoid serious injuries, they may well find themselves in the upper echelons of the table much longer than many anticipated at the season's outset.
