There’s no denying that Leeds United have been one of the standout teams in the Sky Bet Championship so far this season.

The fact that Leeds are currently sat in second place in the Sky Bet Championship implies that Marcelo Bielsa and his players must be doing something right on the pitch. The Whites have put in several impressive performances this season which has them on course for a return to the top-flight of English football.

It was a busy summer transfer window at Leeds United with no fewer than five first team signings walking through the door to feed those Premier League ambitions that the fans at Elland Road have craved ever since the club’s relegation in 2004.

But who has impressed us at FLW so far this campaign?

We take a look...

Kalvin Phillips

Starting off with someone who was not brought to the club by current manager, Bielsa. Phillips is Leeds born and bred having come through the club’s youth academy system and went on to make his professional debut for the senior team back in April of 2016, playing in a 4-3 defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Over the course of the last four seasons, Phillips has established himself as a regular starter at Elland Road and on several occasions has contributed to high placed finishes in the Sky Bet Championship.

But this season the 24-year-old has taken his game to another level, so much so he has not only been linked with a move to a host of Premier League clubs but has also been rumoured to have worked his way into a place in the current England set-up.

His industrious work in the middle of the park allows the Leeds attacking players to express themselves with the knowledge that any loose balls that fall into the midfield are likely to be won by the Leeds United number 23. This is just one of the many reasons why Leeds United have torn teams apart this season with a ruthless attitude. Without the tireless work of Phillips in front of the defensive line, Leeds United would struggle to fit in as much firepower at the top end of the pitch.

Another reason we’ve been so impressed by Phillips is his ability to dictate the tempo of not only Leeds United but the entire game. With an average of 54.8 passes per game with an 81.6% completion rate, it becomes easy to see just how pivotal Phillips is for Leeds this season. At times this year Phillips has dropped in between the two centre-backs when Leeds have been trailing to allow the wing-backs more freedom to push forward and join the attackers. This provides a solid base for sustained pressure and an extra route when they have the ball in their own half but also enables Leeds to be able to not get caught on a sudden counter-attack by the opposition.

Phillips has been catching attention from his performance against Arsenal in the third round of the FA Cup. A much-changed Arsenal side came head-to-head with a Leeds side that had the benefit of familiarity amongst their ranks, perhaps it was this mentality that allowed Phillips to pull the strings against Premier League opposition. Granit Xhaka and Matteo Guendouzi were deployed as holding midfielders for Arsenal with Mesut Ozil just ahead of them in ‘the number ten role’.  Phillips was able to keep Ozil quiet by marking him out of the game in the first half which made their Premier League hosts rather ineffective.

Luke Ayling

Another mainstay in the Leeds defensive unit, Luke Ayling appears to have taken his game to another level this season and epitomises a Marcelo Bielsa full-back. Without the former Bristol City defender playing, it looks as if Leeds are missing an entity that not many players possess in the EFL.

Ayling is a full-back with an impressive output in front of goal whether that be his decision making to start moves or taking a shot himself, his goal against Hull City on Saturday showcasing how Bielsa has impacted his game.

He picked the ball up in the middle of the Tigers’ half with expert control and courtesy of a massive deflection, the ball arrowed into the corner with George Long helpless to stop it. His positional know-how when the ball is on the other side of the pitch has improved greatly this year, with Ayling tucking in to allow his winger more space. It also allows him to react to a loose ball in the middle of midfield and with his ability to pick a pass successfully, with an 80.2% completion rate this season, he can often be the root cause for a Leeds United goal without laying the ball into the feet of the scorer.