Leeds United sit 15th in the Premier League after seven matches of the new campaign with two wins and eight points - a reasonable showing that over the course of 38 games would see them surpass the once-heralded 40-point mark synonymous with survival.
It has been a competitive season so far with all 20 teams already suffering at least one defeat and there has been plenty of discussion, too, about the performance of newly-promoted sides Leeds, Burnley and Sunderland.
It is the Black Cats who've made the fastest start, surging to ninth with 11 points after seven gameweeks, but Leeds, too, have gone toe-to-toe with some of the top flight's trickiest opponents.
Leeds United are drawing on Daniel Farke's German coaching background
Last weekend, the Whites were narrowly beaten by Tottenham Hotspur at Elland Road - their first home league defeat in over 12 months. Spurs' ruthlessness and verticality in attack, along with a helping hand via two deflected goals, made the difference, but in truth the contest was an even affair.
And that has been the case for all of Leeds' performances this season, aside from the 5-0 defeat by Arsenal.
Daniel Farke's team came from behind to beat Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux last month and were good value for the three points earned in their opener against Everton.
Additionally, Leeds have dropped three points to goals conceded during stoppage time this season, which otherwise would have put them level in the table with Sunderland.
Gabriel Gudmundsson's bizarre, headed own-goal at Craven Cottage handed Fulham all three points, while Eli Junior Kroupi's late equaliser for high-flying Bournemouth at Elland Road robbed Leeds of a third win in six.
Goals were hard to come by, scoring once from the penalty spot, in their first four, but recently they appear to have found their groove. Although, penalty box profligacy is slowly threatening to become a theme of their season.
Leeds gave their North London visitors little time to breathe on the ball, forcing Spurs to box clever and play directly, to good effect it must be said. But, what cannot be ignored was the effectiveness of Leeds' press, against Tottenham and other teams.
According to data experts Opta, Leeds' PPDA (Passes per Defensive Action), is one of the most stand-offish in the league - a sea change from last season's 100-point Championship campaign.
PPDA measures how many passes, on average, a team allows their opponent before attempting to win it back, whether that be a tackle, interception, foul or block.
By that particular metric, Leeds are passive pressers, happy to allow their technically superior opposition time on the ball, so long as it isn't in dangerous areas, which is a perfectly acceptable approach to take and one which Nottingham Forest championed on their return to European football last season.
Leeds' PPDA does not tell the whole story, though.
The Whites have been one of the most aggressive teams in the final third at trying to win the ball back, aiming to turn over possession and quickly fashion shooting opportunities.
In this regard, Farke's Leeds have been the most effective in the Premier League.
Only Brighton and Hove Albion (13) have recorded more 'shot-ending high turnovers' than Leeds (12) this season. That is to say, the Seagulls have won possession back in the final third and managed to create a shooting opportunity. It is one of the main pillars of German playing philosophy 'gegenpressing', popularised in England by ex-Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp.
As a proportion of all high turnovers, though, Leeds are more effective than their south coast counterparts. Approximately 30 per cent of the Whites' high turnovers end in a shot, as opposed to Brighton's 23 per cent.
Pressing is one of the more 'coachable' elements of the modern game, focused on co-ordinating the movements of attacking players whilst out of possession with the goal of winning the ball back. That is why Farke's influence on the training pitch must be noted because the Whites' approach is, technically, the league's most functional.
Where Farke's influence lessens is in the final action. Responsibility for executing the subsequent shooting opportunity lies with the attacker and Leeds have so far been unable to produce a goal-ending high turnover this season. Brighton, on the other hand, have scored two such goals, while 11 other teams have found the net once in this manner.
Leeds' finishing against Spurs was perhaps the main reason the home side came away with nothing from the game. Farke's side put up 1.68 xG but scored only once, missing three big chances and coming close a handful of other times.
At home to Everton in their season opener, Leeds managed 21 shots at Jordan Pickford's goal but hit the target with only three of them, one of which being Lukas Nmecha's converted spot-kick. Leeds recorded just one shot of 10 on target when Newcastle visited Elland Road, too, and they had to wait for the 90th minute for it.
Against Bournemouth that improved, forcing Djordje Petrovic into six saves but more ruthless finishing would have put the Whites out of sight.
Survival is the aim this season, there is no point beating around the bush, so, a 17th-place finish would rightly be deemed a success especially after the last six newly-promoted sides all succumbed to an immediate Championship return.
Leeds' press suggests they have a chance to make a real impact on the Premier League this season, and taking teams by surprise is not out of the equation, it's a real possibility, once their finishing improves.
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