Daniel Farke will have been pleased to get back to winning way at the full-time whistle on Saturday as Leeds United beat QPR to win 2-0 at Elland Road – but it was not a polished performance.
Daniel Farke made three changes to his side, bringing Sam Byram back into the side after Junior Firpo was given a three-match ban on the morning of the game for a headbutt on a Millwall player on Wednesday.
Byram came in to start a third match of the Championship campaign, while Manor Solomon and Mateo Joseph were given starts in place of Dan James and Joel Piroe. But they both struggled to shine for Leeds.
After Brenden Aaronson struck the bar, Jayden Bogle got the ball rolling. A goal-mouth scramble ended in Bogle shinning a left-footed shot into the top corner off the bar. Leeds fans had to wait for a second.
Leeds player loses 14 duels on Saturday as theme becomes norm
Joel Piroe came off the bench to score his sixth goal of the season. Piroe now has more goals off the bench in a calendar year than any other player in the club’s history, with four of his six coming as a sub.
He finished well after good work from Aaronson and Isaac Schmidt, finishing well. A win, a clean sheet and back to winning ways before the break but it was not the best of performances – Aaronson, included.
Indeed, the USA star is becoming renowned as a player that loses the ball due to a lack of physicality, as well as trying to make things happen. On Saturday, he lost 14 of his 19 duels with his QPR opponents.
Brenden Aaronson’s stats for Leeds in win over QPR on Saturday
Aaronson is the Championship’s most-dispossessed player. It is now 50 times, Aaronson has lost the ball and a further 29 occasions where Aaronson’s touch has been unsuccessful, a dribble or a forward pass.
A lack of physicality was a concern in his first season, but there was hope that might change this season after his loan in Germany. Tony Dorigo said in pre-season that Aaronson had put weight on in muscle.
Brenden Aaronson’s stats for Leeds against QPR:
- XG and XA (expected goals and expected assists, 0.41 – Leeds’ third-highest)
- 24 successful passes, 30 attempted (80%)
- Three chances created, four shots, bar struck
- Five duels won, 14 duels lost
But clearly, it’s not having an effect. Aaronson lost 14 of his 19 duels, the most a Leeds player has lost so many duels in one game since Georginio Rutter lost 15 on the opening day against Portsmouth.
It is becoming a growing trend for Aaronson and Leeds, and clubs will start to target the American as a player they can get the ball off and is a weak point in Farke’s side. In January, a new no.10, perhaps.
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