Leeds United are back in action once again in the Championship as they travel away from Yorkshire to take on Norwich City at Carrow Road this evening.
The Whites are looking to record a third straight win in the second tier as they aim to move into the automatic promotion places, in their bid to reach the Premier League this season.
Daniel Farke’s side have only lost once in seven league matches so far this term and have kept five clean sheets in their last six outings in the division.
Leeds are up against Norwich for the first time they beat them 4-0 at Elland Road in the second leg of the play-offs, and at Carrow Road for the first time since their 0-0 draw in the first leg.
The Canaries are under new management, however, and Johannes Hoff Thorup aims to succeed where David Wagner failed and claim a victory over the Whites.
Farke’s team come into this game off the back of a 3-0 win over Coventry last time out and the German head coach will have to make at least one change to his starting XI from that match, as Ethan Ampadu has been ruled out.
The player who could replace Ethan Ampadu
The Leeds boss revealed in his pre-match press conference that the Wales international will be out of team training for around ten weeks with a knee injury.
Ampadu was forced off in the first half against the Sky Blues and is now expected to be out of action until January, as he will need time to get back to full fitness after his eventual return to training.
Ao Tanaka was brought on to replace the former Chelsea man and Farke must now unleash the summer signing from the start for the first time, after his impressive showing off the bench.
Minutes played
49
Pass accuracy
94%
Key passes
0
Duels won
3/4
Tackles
2
Interceptions
2
As you can see in the table above, the Japan international provided an incredibly reliable presence at the base of the midfield alongside Ilia Gruev.
He was thrown in during the first half and did not take any time to settle in against Coventry, as shown by his super pass success rate and duel success rate.
Tanaka, despite his slight frame, immediately adapted to the physicality of the match to win an impressive 75% of his duels, which helped him to complete two tackles and two interceptions.
There is also more to come from the midfielder, who played a superb pass in the build-up to the third goal, as he has the potential to offer quality in the final third.
The 26-year-old star scored seven goals in 24 starts in the 2. Bundesliga during the 2023/24 campaign and could, therefore, offer a threat at the top end of the pitch.
Alongside Tanaka, Farke could also make a change at the top end of the pitch as Mateo Joseph could be brutally ditched from the XI to unleash Joel Piroe from the start, who could benefit from the Japanese maestro’s forward passes.
Why Joel Piroe should start
Firstly, this is the second of three games in the space of six days for Leeds and the head coach may want to rotate his squad to avoid fatigue and further injuries, following the blow to Ampadu.
This means it could make sense to drop Joseph down to the bench to keep him fresh for Friday night’s clash with Sunderland at the Stadium of Light.
However, this is a decision that should also be made because of Piroe’s impressive form off the bench for the West Yorkshire outfit in recent weeks.
The former Swansea centre-forward, who was described as “dangerous” by journalist Josh Bunting, came off the bench to score the third goal against Coventry on Saturday, meeting Wilfried Gnonto’s cross to find the back of the net with a well-controlled finish after Tanaka’s fantastic through ball to the Italian winger.
That was Piroe’s third goal in four Championship games for Leeds, having also scored against Hull and Cardiff, despite being a substitute in all four of those outings.
The 25-year-old marksman, who scored 13 goals in 31 starts in the 2023/24 campaign, has caught the eye with his performances in limited minutes so far this term.
Appearances
7
Starts
1
xG
1.65
Goals
3
Assists
1
Minutes per goal
55
As you can see in the table above, the left-footed ace has outperformed his xG and provided four direct goal contributions in seven appearances, despite starting one game.
He has been incredibly effective and now, with three games in six days, could be the right moment for Farke to finally unleash him from the start against Norwich, with Tanaka also coming in to provide the striker with the ball in dangerous areas.
Mateo Joseph's form this season
Joseph has started the season as the first-choice centre-forward option for Leeds and has shown plenty of promise with his displays, albeit there is plenty of room for improvement.
The 20-year-old striker has started all seven of the club’s matches in the Championship so far this term but has only found the back of the net once, with a near-post strike against Hull.
He has scored one goal from 1.95 xG and missed two ‘big chances’, which suggests that the young ace has not been clinical with the chances that have come his way – unlike Piroe.
The academy graduate has, however, showcased his ability to create for others in the second tier. Joseph has created four ‘big chances’ and registered three assists in his seven appearances in the division, which shows that he is a fantastic facilitating striker.
Whereas, Piroe has only recorded four assists in his last 52 appearances in the Championship since the start of last season, which suggests that the Spain U21 international offers more in that regard.
The Dutchman, as shown by their respective form this term, offers more of a clinical edge in front of goal, though, and that is why the ex-Swans star should be unleashed from the start at Carrow Road this evening, up against Jose Cordoba and Shane Duffy.
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