Mateo Joseph makes Premier League claim in his post-match Leeds United assessment after Preston draw

Add as preferred source on Google

Mateo Joseph was speaking to the media after Leeds United’s draw with Preston North End on Saturday afternoon and the striker has made a Premier League claim about Daniel Farke’s squad.

Leeds could only manage a draw on Saturday, the club’s sixth Championship draw of the season in their 21st game. It sees Leeds sit in second place with Sheffield United in first after their win over Plymouth.

Leeds could have received a helping hand from an on-loan player against Sheffield United, but Darko Gyabi missed a sitter for Plymouth. Leeds will stay in second, but Burnley could now close the gap.

Automatic promotion remains very much on despite Leeds failing to beat Preston and given the timing of the equaliser, perhaps fortuitous to come away with a point as Jack Whatmough scored an own goal.

• READ MORE: Leeds have made a mistake by letting Elland Road star’s contract run down

Mateo Joseph makes Premier League claim about Leeds squad

It was the Spain U21 star’s involvement that forced Whatmough to inadvertently turn the ball into his own net. But it was another away game in the Championship that Leeds have been unable to go and win.

Josuha Guilavogui highlighted the need to improve away but it remains an issue, in the bid to finish in the top two places. Speaking to LUTV, Joseph says the Leeds squad is of Premier League standard right now.

“For me, this is a Premier League-level squad. We have to prove it. Last game I started and today I got five or 10 minutes and I need to make it count but I’m happy to help. We continue our unbeaten run.”

How Joseph, Patrick Bamford and Joel Piroe compare

With Piroe back in the starting line-up on Saturday, it is clear that Farke is yet to work out which of the three is his best striker. Perhaps, he sees the trio as a culmination of everything he wants in a striker.

But continuously chopping and changing between Piroe and Joseph, and then sometimes using Bamford more than Joseph from the bench, is not going to help any of the three gain momentum in front of goal.

Leeds are next in action when they take on Oxford United at Elland Road next weekend, with The Whites now closing in on the halfway stage of the Championship season as Farke eyes a third career promotion.