Leeds vs Everton Preview

• Over 2.5 goals
• Both teams to score

Elland Road will be rocking as Leeds United make their long-awaited return to Premier League football under the lights on Monday night when they take on an Everton side building towards a bold new era. This is a fixture steeped in history and needle, and with both clubs undergoing major summer reshaping, the curtain-raiser promises to be a fascinating early litmus test.

Match News and Current Form

Promotion back to the top flight felt like destiny last term for Leeds United, as Daniel Farke guided the Whites to the Championship title with a brand of energetic, front-footed football that won admirers from far beyond West Yorkshire. Few newly promoted sides look better equipped for survival, with Leeds winning 19 of their last 28 league outings (D8, L1) and keeping the spine of their squad intact: Ethan Ampadu, Pascal Struijk and captain Liam Cooper remain on board while exciting Italy international Wilfried Gnonto — despite flirtations with a transfer two summers back — now looks settled as a key attacking contributor.

The summer recruitment has been measured, but clever. Bundesliga-proven defender Sebastiaan Bornauw and Premier League full-back Jayden Bogle arrive to add depth across the backline, while French youth product Habib Diarra brings legs and athleticism to midfield. Perhaps the most eye-catching move is one still in progress: former Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin is said to be close to signing on a free transfer in a bid to rejuvenate his injury-hit career at his hometown club. And while pre-season hasn’t brought many headline-grabbing results, Leeds head into this opener with confidence and momentum on their side — vital commodities in the early weeks of a Premier League campaign.

Everton, by contrast, have experienced a period of upheaval in both infrastructure and personnel. This will be the Toffees’ first competitive match since leaving Goodison Park behind after 132 unforgettable years, relocating to their brand-new Hill Dickinson Stadium on the Mersey waterfront. On the pitch, David Moyes has wasted no time trying to reshape a squad that flirted with disaster last term, with six summer signings headlined by £48m purchase Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall from Chelsea and the eye-catching loan addition of Jack Grealish from Manchester City — a marquee name who arrives needing regular football and a fresh opportunity.

A winless pre-season (D2, L4) won’t have inspired Moyes, but his sides are rarely judged on friendly form. Everton did sign off their 2024/25 league campaign with three successive Premier League victories, which may offer hope that the corner was turned long before the current transition took place.

Head-to-Head History

Leeds have found life against Everton tough in recent years, managing just a solitary victory in the last eleven top-flight meetings (D4, L6). These woes are particularly stark at Elland Road, where the Toffees are unbeaten across their last five Premier League visits (W3, D2) — their joint-longest run away to any current Premier League opponent. Mick-papering over those warnings will be crucial for Leeds’ morale on their emotional return to the elite.

Hot Stats and Streaks

• Leeds’ last eight opening league games have produced a remarkable 39 goals (average of 4.9 per match).
• The Whites bring a six-game winning streak in league football into this match, but are winless in their last nine Premier League outings overall (D2, L7).
• Everton have lost on the opening day in each of the past three Premier League campaigns.
• However, the Toffees ended last season with three wins on the spin — equalling their best such run since 2008 under David Moyes’ previous reign.

Key Players to Watch and Missing Players

Wilfried Gnonto is expected to be Leeds’ danger man. The 20-year-old ended last season by scoring in each of Leeds’ final three Championship matches and will relish facing the club he once attempted to join via a dramatic transfer request in 2023.

Everton’s Jack Grealish is undoubtedly one of the league’s marquee arrivals and already has five direct goal contributions against Leeds across his Premier League career — suggesting he tends to enjoy this fixture.

Leeds have slight concerns over newly-signed defenders Jayden Bogle and Sebastiaan Bornauw, with both missing recent friendlies through knocks, though Farke remains hopeful of late fitness tests. Everton are without key central defender Jarrad Branthwaite and first-choice left-back Vitalii Mykolenko due to muscle injuries, weakening a back line that will need to be at full focus to withstand Elland Road’s early-season energy.

Betting Analysis

Picking a winner on the opening weekend is always tricky, but given Leeds’ tendency to be involved in dramatic, high-scoring season-openers and considering Everton’s significant injury concerns at the back, looking towards over 2.5 match goals could be the smartest play when it comes to betting selections.

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Leeds United v Everton | 2025/2026 | Premier League | Overview