Noah Okafor Must Stay Humble And Hungry, Says Daniel Farkenewsline24

Leeds United visit in-form Bournemouth with Noah Okafor carrying the main attacking threat and Daniel Farke demanding focus. Okafor has hit five goals in the last five appearances, lifting Leeds eight points clear of the relegation zone before this vital Premier League trip.

Farke also saw Leeds’ survival position boosted when former Brighton striker Georginio Rutter struck a dramatic late equaliser for Brighton against Tottenham. That 1-1 draw kept the gap between 15th-placed Leeds and 18th-placed Tottenham at eight points instead of six.

Despite that help, Farke stressed that attention must stay on Leeds’ own performance levels, especially from key forwards. The head coach highlighted Okafor’s recent run of seven league goals and one assist, but stressed that finishing is only one part of the forward’s overall job within the team structure.

Farke explained the demands placed on Okafor and other Leeds attackers. “My attitude is that fitness level is so important. We have worked a lot on it. The mindset is also important for the attackers, Farke said. They should not just be thinking about goals and assists. They need to think about how they can benefit the team,playing a role in pressing and the workload off the ball, helping the wing-backs to close the wings. If you concentrate on these topics and have a good game, the end product will come automatically. If you think about goals, goals and goals, you will never score. We also speak about things that we want to see tactically, but all the credit goes to him. He’s in a fantastic shape and he needs to make sure he stays on it, stays humble and stays hungry and ride the wave as far as possible.”

Bournemouth arrive in strong form under Andoni Iraola and are unbeaten since the start of January, which strengthens their push towards European qualification places. Leeds recognise the scale of the task, with the visitors aiming to extend an eight-match unbeaten away sequence across all competitions, including reaching a first FA Cup semi-final since 1987.

Junior Kroupi is one of Bournemouth’s main threats after scoring in the 2-2 draw at Elland Road earlier this season. Kroupi could become the first teenager to net home and away against Leeds in one Premier League campaign; the youngest so far is Peter Ndlovu for Coventry in 1992-93, at 20 years and 72 days.

Okafor’s influence away from Elland Road is clear. Both Leeds United away league wins this season came in matches when Okafor scored, beating Wolves 3-1 and Manchester United 2-1. Okafor has also struck in the last two away league appearances, adding a goal at Chelsea in February, matching a streak already achieved this season by Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

Calvert-Lewin has already scored in three consecutive away league games this season. The last time Leeds had two players manage such a run in one league campaign was 2002-03, when Harry Kewell and Mark Viduka both scored in three successive away matches, underlining how rare Okafor’s current output is for Leeds.

Bournemouth vs Leeds United prediction and Opta odds

Historical results slightly favour Leeds United, who have lost only two of 15 league fixtures against Bournemouth, winning ten and drawing three. One of those defeats, however, came in the only previous Premier League away meeting at Bournemouth, a 4-1 loss in April 2023, which offers encouragement for the hosts despite Leeds’ broader dominance.

Farke has an unbeaten personal Premier League record against Bournemouth, with one win and two draws from three meetings, and Brentford are the only other side Farke has faced in the division without defeat. Leeds’ current run of eight away games without losing, two wins and six draws, is their best since a sequence between October 1978 and January 1979, when they went 11 unbeaten.

Bournemouth, meanwhile, have drawn their last four Premier League home matches. The Cherries have only twice recorded longer home drawing streaks in league football: five in September 1962 and six in April 1967. That sequence, combined with their unbeaten spell since January, helps explain why Iraola’s team are viewed as favourites for this fixture.

Farke described the mood inside Leeds after Rutter’s late Brighton goal. “Yes, there were many jokes. I worked a whole year with him and waited a whole year for such a finish from him, Farke quipped. We are all happy for Georgi because he’s an unbelievable player. Sometimes you have to accept that a player develops a bit quicker than we were able to do couple of years ago. You could say he has helped our position in the relegation a little bit but I dont pay too much attention to the other games. I don’t celebrate goals of other teams. I just celebrate Leeds goals, but I am always happy if Georgi scores a goal if its not a goal against Leeds.”

Opta’s model reflects Bournemouth’s strong recent form and home advantage.

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Despite Opta’s projection favouring Bournemouth, Leeds travel with confidence built on Okafor’s form, Farke’s unbeaten Premier League record against this opponent and a long away run without defeat, while Bournemouth rely on their sustained unbeaten spell and Kroupi’s threat to retain momentum in front of their home support.