Leeds United are back in Championship action once again this afternoon as they travel to Deepdale to take on Preston North End in one of the early kick-offs.
The Whites have the chance to move back to the top of the table with a win over Paul Heckingbottom’s side before Sheffield United face Plymouth at 3 pm.
Daniel Farke’s men can put pressure on the Blades by securing all three points against Preston and ensuring that their rivals have to win their match to retain their spot in first place.
The West Yorkshire outfit come into this match off the back two wins in the Championship in the last seven days, beating Derby County 2-0 on Saturday and Middlesbrough 3-1 on Tuesday night.
Farke’s side produced a fantastic performance to secure all three points in the win over Boro on Tuesday, thanks to goals from Wilfried Gnonto, Dan James, and Brenden Aaronson.
There were a number of fantastic performances across the pitch for Leeds on the night, as they scored three goals and secured all three points against a promotion-chasing team.
Leeds United's top performers against Middlesbrough
The scorer of the opening goal in the game at Elland Road – Gnonto – was one of the shining lights for the Whites, after he pounced from close range to make the most of an error from Seny Dieng.
He also completed two of his four attempted dribbles and won nine of his 12 ground duels throughout the game, which shows that the Italian gem was strong out of possession and that the forward was looking to put his side on the front foot by taking on opposition defenders.
Joe Rothwell caught the eye with his display in the middle of the park alongside Ao Tanaka. The Bournemouth loanee won six of his seven ground duels and completed 92% of his attempted passes, as he provided security in possession and strength defensively.
Wales international Dan James was one of the top performers for Farke and was involved in all three of the goals for Leeds from the right flank.
It was his cross that caused Dieng to fumble the ball into the path of Gnonto for the opener. James then crashed a brilliant shot into the far top corner from just inside the box for the second goal, before his pass into Tanaka in the box allowed his teammate to provide the assist for Aaronson’s strike.
Whilst there were some superb performers for Leeds, including Gnonto, James, and Rothwell, there was one player who struggled to showcase the best of his abilities for the Whites against Middlesbrough.
The Leeds star who did not take his chance against Middlesbrough
Farke opted to go with Mateo Joseph as his starting centre-forward for the clash with Michael Carrick’s side, with Gnonto, Aaronson, and James as the attacking trio behind him.
It was a big chance for the Spain U21 international to stake a claim for a regular spot in the starting XI moving forward, as it was his first start since the 2-0 win over Queens Park Rangers at Elland Road at the start of November.
Unfortunately, it was an opportunity that was not taken by the Leeds academy graduate, who failed to offer much in or out of possession for the Whites on Tuesday night.
Joseph played 69 minutes of the 3-1 win for the West Yorkshire side and ended his time on the pitch without a single shot on goal or chance created for the team, which speaks to how ineffective he was in the final third.
The Spanish youngster also lost 100% of his duels in the game, losing all six of his aerial battles and both of his duels on the deck, and this shows that Middlesbrough players found it far too easy to get the better of him in physical contests.
Appearances
20
Starts
10
Goals
2
Big chances created
4
Assists
3
As you can see in the table above, Joseph has not found it easy in the Championship this season and is yet to prove that he can score goals consistently.
However, that should be expected of a 21-year-old striker who had not started a single league match at first-team level in his career prior to this year.
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Farke should drop the lightweight down to the bench for this clash with Preston, but his appearances off the bench will still provide him with invaluable experience as he looks to hone and develop his skills.
The star Leeds should unleash in Mateo Joseph's place
Joseph dropping out of the starting XI would open the door for another centre-forward to come in from the start, and the German head coach should snub Patrick Bamford to unleash Joel Piroe.
Bamford has yet to start a match in the Championship this season and is yet to produce a goal or an assist off the bench, in his seven outings as a substitute so far.
Piroe, on the other hand, has been in impressive form for Leeds in the 2024/25 campaign and produced a vital assist off the bench last time out against Middlesbrough.
It was his through ball for James that allowed the Wales international to burst into the box and score to make it 2-1 at a crucial point in the match, which helped the Whites to secure all three points.
Appearances
20
Starts
11
Goals
7
xG
4.78
Assists
3
As you can see in the table above, that was the Dutch attacker’s tenth direct goal contribution of the Championship season, despite him having only started 11 times.
Piroe, who was once described as “dangerous” by journalist Josh Bunting, is a clinical forward, as shown by his xG to goal ratio, and can be relied upon to finish off chances that come his way.
Whereas, Joseph, who has scored two goals from 3.52 xG, has been wasteful in front of goal and is not as reliable as the former Swansea City marksman.
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Farke must now take the Spanish youngster out of the line-up, after he struggled in and out of possession, and bring the Dutch forward back into the XI.