(Credit: Imago)

Evan Shaw

Thu 1 January 2026 19:25, UK

Leeds United extended their recent unbeaten run to a sixth consecutive game thanks to a 0-0 draw away at Liverpool on Thursday.

The Whites have been resurgent throughout December, and their strong run of form has seen the newly-promoted side pull away and establish a seven-point gap between themselves and the Premier League relegation zone.

Daniel Farke had been under pressure at Leeds after a difficult start on their return to the top flight, but speculation surrounding his dismissal has quickly become a distant memory of late.

It was another positive display from the German’s side at Liverpool in midweek, and it earned them another valuable point in their bid to achieve survival.

Leeds fans rage at Lukas Nmecha: ‘He’s got concrete in his boots’

Dominic Calvert-Lewin has been electric for Leeds of late, and eyebrows were certainly raised when he was left on the bench for Thursday night’s clash.

The striker had scored in six consecutive games prior to his team’s trip to Anfield, but he was left out by Farke on this occasion, as the boss opted to start the game with Lukas Nmecha leading the line.

The former Wolfsburg man had been on a strong run of his own prior to a recent injury lay-off, but he showed plenty of signs of rustiness during his 70 minutes on the pitch in midweek.

Leeds struggled to create clear-cut chances for large parts of the draw with Liverpool, and their fans couldn’t hide their frustration towards their frontman as they took to X to aim criticism in his direction.

One supporter stated that Nmecha was “so lazy it’s unreal,” while another jokingly questioned whether the 27-year-old was playing with concrete in his boots.

He was also labelled as a “complete passenger” during his time in the game, with several supporters desperate to see him taken off the pitch as quickly as possible.

• @jack_cym: “Not liking anything about Nmecha’s game.”
• @lufc_rammy: “Need to get Nmecha off, he’s being bullied.”
• @MattyHill83: “Nmecha must have instructions not to run or move into space.”

Lukas Nmecha achieves unwanted game-leading stat vs Liverpool

Nmecha has been an effective option for Leeds when it comes to getting a body up in support of Calvert-Lewin at the top of the pitch.

However, when he has had to lead the line on his own then his performances have undoubtedly dipped.

The Whites struggled to get the attacking duo of him and Brenden Aaronson into the game on Thursday night, and that was clear to see from Nmecha’s final stats as he left the field.

The German managed just 23 touches of the ball during his 70 minutes, the lowest total of anybody to start the game across the two teams.

That was a telltale sign of the lack of impact that he made on proceedings, and Leeds were a significantly bigger threat once Farke had swapped him out in favour of Calvert-Lewin.