‘We Deserve to Be There’ Nico Elvedi Drops Huge Leeds United Claim After Newcastle Demolition

Nico Elvedi believes Leeds United can achieve something special this season after Daniel Farke’s side produced one of their strongest performances of the campaign against Newcastle United.

Leeds returned to winning ways in impressive fashion on Monday night, beating Newcastle 4-1 at Elland Road and sending a strong message after a difficult few days.

The Whites had gone into the game without a win in their previous two matches, drawing 1-1 with Brighton before suffering a crazy 6-3 defeat against Chelsea in the League Cup.

However, there had still been plenty of positive signs in both games, especially during the first halves, and Leeds finally turned that good football into a complete Premier League performance against Newcastle.

Farke’s side were aggressive from the opening minutes and looked much more dangerous than their opponents, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin again proving his value in attack.

Ao Tanaka also continued his impressive start to the campaign, while Noah Okafor showed his creativity by scoring the fourth goal after the break.

For Elvedi, who has quickly become an important part of Farke’s defence, the result was fully deserved.

The Switzerland international was also able to experience his first proper evening atmosphere at Elland Road, and he admitted that the noise from the supporters was even better than he had expected.

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Elvedi believes Leeds deserve their place in the top three

Leeds had entered the Newcastle match knowing that a positive result could move them into third place in the early Premier League table.

After the 4-1 victory, Elvedi did not hide his happiness and said the players deserved their position because of the way they performed.

The defender explained that the plan was to press Newcastle players one against one, and he felt the team followed Farke’s instructions very well.

However, Elvedi was also careful not to make any huge predictions about where Leeds could finish because there have only been four league games so far.

He believes the squad has enough quality to do something important this season, but the players must continue working in the same way rather than becoming too excited by their early position.

That approach will please Farke, who has been keen to keep his players grounded despite the excellent start.

Leeds are now unbeaten in three Premier League matches, having previously beaten Nottingham Forest before drawing with Brentford and Brighton. The Newcastle win has given them another major boost.

Only Arsenal and Manchester City had collected more Premier League points at this stage, while only seven teams had taken more points during the calendar year of 2026.

For a side that was promoted last season, this is a very encouraging position.

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Leeds United and Elvedi match details

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Farke still finds things to criticise despite 4-1 win

While the result was excellent, Farke was not completely satisfied with everything he saw.

The German manager was delighted with the overall performance and described it as one of Leeds’ best displays over the previous 12 months. However, he was unhappy that his side allowed Newcastle to score late in the match.

Leeds had been 4-0 ahead before Toure found the net in the 90th minute, and Farke felt the goal could have been avoided.

He also wanted his players to keep more possession during the final stages instead of becoming sloppy and allowing Newcastle to create opportunities.

That is typical of Farke’s approach, as he does not want his players to become comfortable simply because they are winning.

The Leeds boss also highlighted Tanaka after the midfielder lost possession following the second goal. A heavy touch forced Tarik Muharemovic to make an important intervention to prevent Yoane Wissa from taking advantage.

Farke clearly admires Tanaka’s ability, but he wants the Japan international to improve further if he is going to become a complete Premier League midfielder.

The manager joked that Tanaka receives plenty of praise from him but also plenty of criticism because the target is to make him a “perfect Premier League player”.

That mentality could be important for Leeds as the season develops.

The biggest positive from the Newcastle game was not simply the four goals. Leeds showed they could dominate a team that had entered the match unbeaten, while also responding properly to the disappointment of the Chelsea defeat.

Calvert-Lewin’s form is another major boost, with the striker continuing to look dangerous in front of goal. Tanaka is playing with growing confidence, Okafor is adding creativity and Elvedi is becoming more comfortable in the defence.

The atmosphere at Elland Road is also giving the players another advantage.

Elvedi admitted that he had been warned about the atmosphere before joining Leeds, but even those warnings did not prepare him for the experience of a big evening match.

The defender said the supporters’ energy can be felt as soon as the players walk onto the pitch and that it pushes the team forward.

That connection between the squad and supporters could become very important if Leeds can maintain their current momentum.

There is still a long way to go and Elvedi is right to remain cautious about making big predictions after only four league matches.

But after beating Newcastle 4-1, Leeds have every reason to believe that they can compete strongly this season.

Farke will demand more, the players will know there are areas to improve, and the supporters will now expect the team to build on this performance.

For now, though, the momentum is firmly with Leeds United.

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