Ten games into the 2020-21 Premier League season and it has already been a very peculiar campaign indeed. For the longest time in footballing history, there have been no fans present at stadiums up and down the country.
It is a far-cry from the scenes which would have welcomed Leeds United back to the top flight in any other year, and a desperate shame that still, Leeds fans do not know when they will be allowed back to see their beloved team.
Nevertheless, there is hope on the horizon, and Leeds supporters must also take the positives from the club's start to the campaign. Four wins, four defeats and two draws is a good start and better than many will have hoped for.
Marcelo Bielsa however may feel a tad dismayed that his side have only picked up 14 points from their first ten, owing to the dominance they have enjoyed on the pitch.
He has instilled a non-conformist attitude within his Leeds team, which became apparent from their opening day defeat against Liverpool. This side - evident in the way they play - are adamant they will not stick to the accepted norms that promoted teams must defend first and attack second, in order to protect their Premier League status.
Bielsa and his Leeds have gone about their business in a different manner entirely, attacking vehemently in every single game, regardless of opponent. Their two draws in the league this season came against Arsenal and Manchester City, both games which on the balance of play should have resulted in three points to Leeds United.
Leading statistics site Infogol sees Leeds as having created the third-most xG so far this season, behind only Liverpool and Tottenham. Expected Goals measures the quality of chances a team creates; in this case it suggests Leeds have created a lot. That tallies with how Leeds have been on the eye too, creating a vast array of opportunities in most games, but perhaps not being as ruthless as they could be.
In fact, Infogol also find that based on Expected Points (xPTS) - how many points a team could be expected to earn based on their single-game xG values - Leeds would be sixth in the Premier League table with 17 - three more than have managed.
For example, in Leeds' draw with Arsenal, the team dominated the Gunners and on the balance of chances their xG surpassed that of Arsenal by some margin. In this instance, Leeds' xPTS from the match was three, as opposed to the one they actually earned.
This underperformance so far indicates that Leeds could be expected to improve further, particularly in front of goal, which would only benefit their standing in the Premier League.
Contrastingly, Fulham and West Bromwich Albion who were also promoted last season, find themselves languishing around the foot of the table with a style of play less rigorous and less 'in-your-face' than Leeds United.
Mateusz Klich has recorded the most pressures in the league this season, as per FBRef.com. There is often the notion that smaller teams give the bigger clubs too much respect on the ball - clearly Klich does not conform to that school of thought.
Marcelo Bielsa has shown that there are different ways to tackle Premier League opponents. While he has had middling success so far on a game-by-game basis, the long-term indicators suggest Leeds will not be troubled by any relegation battles this season.
Bielsa and Leeds have torn up the playbook for how promoted sides should conduct themselves, and long may it continue.
