Forget Anton Stach and Ethan Ampadu, 79-touch Leeds United man went under the radar vs Everton

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Leeds United stormed back into the Premier League with a late win over Everton as Lucas Perri, Gabriel Gudmundsson and Anton Stach all made their first start for the club.

However, another Leeds debutant stole the show in the closing minutes of the game as Lukas Nmecha stepped off the bench to score the decisive penalty, much to the frustration of David Moyes.

Nmecha’s goal came with just his third touch for Leeds as he quickly made his mark at Elland Road in a Leeds performance which was marked by strong performances across the pitch.

Whilst Anton Stach and Ethan Ampadu both earned praise after the match, with the Leeds captain being described as the best player on the pitch by Jamie Carragher, another one of Leeds’ stars was quietly impressive, as Gabriel Gudmundsson made a strong start to life at Elland Road.

The stats from the game show that he was the unsung hero for Daniel Farke and his Leeds side as they opened their Premier League account at the first time of asking.

Gabriel Gudmundsson is the unsung hero in Leeds United win

Left-back has been a troublesome position for Leeds in recent years, aside from the recent resurgence of Junior Firpo, and that issue could have reared its head again this season following the fan favourite’s departure.

However, Gudmundsson put those fears to bed with a strong competitive debut for Leeds. Farke’s side took control of the first half, and Leeds’ full-backs were at the heart of this as they launched a series of incisive runs in behind the Everton back four.

The stats from FotMob highlight Gudmundsson’s impact, as he was awarded a match-leading 8.1 rating, mainly for doing the basics well. Gudmundsson had 79 touches, with four successful dribbles and 40 passes in total, at an accuracy of 83%.

The full-back covered a total of 10.5 kilometres in a tireless performance, and he created two chances for the Whites.

Equally as important was Gudmundsson’s contribution in defence as he won his one tackle, made four clearances, two interceptions and six recoveries in a strong display.

While Gudmundsson’s contribution did not catch the eye in the same way as other players, he was a crucial cog in Leeds’ victory.

New Leeds star reflects on ‘important’ win

Speaking to LUTV after the game, Gudmundsson shared his reflections on an “important” victory for the Whites.

According to Gudmundsson, the atmosphere at Elland Road played a crucial role in getting the players over the line in a well-deserved win.

Gudmundsson said: ““It was the first game and it was really important for us to start very well. We know what it means to get three points today. We showed real confidence and we showed heart today, we suffered together, and we played very, very well. So I think we deserve really three points today.

“Also we have to have this atmosphere we had today [in the upcoming matches], it was amazing, it was so good, and we need them to push us. I mean, obviously, you focus on the game, you’re so into the game, but you know hearing the crowd shouting and cheering, it’s so nice.

“It also makes a small percent to even work even more and to run even more, to fight even more. So just keep doing that.”