£10m man proves Daniel Farke wrong, Leeds star’s numbers make him undroppable… Three things learned from win

Add as preferred source on Google

Leeds United enjoyed their final home game of 2024 with their biggest win of the 2024-25 season as they eased past Oxford United to win 4-0 and below, are three things we learned.

Goals from Dan James, Jayden Bogle, Brenden Aaronson and Manor Solomon proved to be more than enough for the Whites, who secured a 13th Championship win from 22 games and a 12th clean sheet.

Below, we discuss three things learned from the victory:

• READ MORE: Three players out on loan from Leeds scored on Saturday, watch here

Three things learned as Leeds United ease past Oxford United

£10m man proves Daniel Farke wrong

Before the match, Ethan Ampadu had managed two substitute appearances for Leeds. But with Pascal Struijk only fit enough for the bench and Max Wober missing, he was thrust into the centre-back role.

Reuniting with Wales teammate Joe Rodon at centre-back, Ampadu starred. The £10m man delivered a captain’s performance, befitting of a player that plays week in, week out – not one out for three months.

Ampadu won all six of his duels, completed 103 passes of a possible 115 at a rate of 90% and had more touches than anyone else with 126. Before the game, Daniel Farke discussed Ampadu’s return to form.

He said last Thursday, during the pre-match press conference ahead of Oxford: “Ethan is good. He needs more or less the same training time, you were out for. An old rule we hope he does better than.”

Farke said it would take time for Ampadu to rediscover his best. He said it takes players the same length sidelined, for them to shine – but after three months out, Ampadu looks like he never stopped playing.

Leeds winger’s numbers now make him undroppable

There was no doubting the star of the show. Manor Solomon has endured a difficult start to life at Leeds but on Saturday, he looked like the player that has starred in the Champions League, and for Fulham.

Solomon’s goal and two assists takes him to six involvements for the season. Compared to Leeds’ other wingers, he is now producing a goal and assist at a quicker rate and therefore, has to be undroppable.

And yet, Leigh Bromby does not believe Leeds have seen the best of Solomon just yet. If there is more yet to come, then the Israel star might just be the difference for Leeds in the second half of the campaign.

Brenden Aaronson’s one big weakness might be starting to fade

For the entirety of Aaronson’s time at Leeds, the one big criticism against his name has been his lack of physicality. Leeds fans even used to tease the American, but lately he is beginning to turn the trend.

The numbers prove it. Back in the summer, Tony Dorigo said Aaronson had put weight on while on loan in Germany and perhaps finally, it is starting to pay off the American. On Saturday, he only lost three duels.

Aaronson’s first 15 Championship starts v last five Championship starts (started 20 of 22 games):

The week before that at Preston, he lost just one duel – the smallest amount lost all season in his last two games. It is a world apart from losing duels in double digits against Swansea, Norwich, Millwall and QPR.