The January transfer window officially slammed shut on Monday night and Leeds United went through the winter market without splashing any cash on new recruits.
Ultimately, they decided that there were no available players who suited what they wanted, or any players who could come in to realistically improve the playing squad.
Daniel Farke has an incredibly strong group at the moment, as evidenced by their place at the top of the Championship table, and they showcased that with a 7-0 win over Cardiff City at the weekend.
The Whites ran riot at Elland Road to smash the Bluebirds and ensure that they remained at the top of the table, with Sheffield United, Burnley, and Sunderland in hot pursuit.
Leeds are once again back in action in the second tier this evening as they prepare to travel to the CBS Arena to take on Frank Lampard’s Coventry City side.
The last time the two teams met was back in September, when Mark Robins was in charge of the Sky Blues, and it was a comfortable win for Farke’s men on the day.
What happened when Leeds last beat Coventry
The West Yorkshire outfit secured a 3-0 win over Coventry when they clashed at Elland Road earlier this season, in what was a fairly routine afternoon for Leeds.
Robins’ side ended the match with just 0.41 xG and zero ‘big chances’ created, despite having 52% of the ball, which shows that they struggled to break down the Whites defence.
Meanwhile, Leeds created 1.66 xG and two ‘big chances’, with eight shots on target in total, and that allowed them to stroll to the victory on the day.
The hosts took the lead after just 16 minutes when Italian forward Wilfried Gnonto latched onto a cross from Junior Firpo to rifle an effort into the roof of the net from just inside of the box.
They found their second goal just four minutes into the second half when Jayden Bogle opened his account for Leeds by side-footing a shot past Ben Wilson after Largie Ramazani slipped a ball through to him.
The third and final goal came in the 79th minute as substitute Joel Piroe kept his shot, from Gnonto’s cross, on target and benefitted from some weak goalkeeping from the Coventry stopper.
Leeds face a different test this evening, however, as they now have a new manager, Lampard, in the dugout, and they have won each of their last four matches in the Championship.
Coventry are, therefore, an in-form team and Farke could look to make some changes to his team, from the one that beat Cardiff 7-0, to ensure that his players are fresh, with Brenden Aaronson one star who could be rested.
Why Brenden Aaronson could be rested
The USA international, who returned to the club after a loan spell with Union Berlin last summer, has been leaned on by the German head coach week-in-week-out so far this season.
He has started 28 of the club’s 30 Championship matches and averaged 79 minutes played per match. Out of the outfield players at the club, only Joe Rodon (2,696) and Jayden Bogle (2,427) have played more minutes than the American midfielder (2,386), which illustrates how much workload he has had this term.
The 24-year-old ace found the back of the net in the 7-0 win over Cardiff, firing past defenders on the line after Dan James had the presence of mind to pick him out, but had gone five matches without a goal contribution before that rout.
Appearances
30
xG
8.58
Goals
8
Big chances created
6
Assists
2
As you can see in the table above, Aaronson has been a solid, but unspectacular, contributor in the final third for Leeds in the Championship this season.
He has slightly underperformed against his xG and a return of six ‘big chances’ created in 28 starts as an attacking midfielder in a dominant Farke team is a bit underwhelming.
Aaronson could benefit from finally being rested, though, as it could allow him to be fresher for future fixtures, to improve his output at the top end of the pitch, and that is why Farke should finally rest him for this clash with Coventry by unleashing a Leeds star in a new role.
The new role Wilfried Gnonto could play
Wilfried Gnonto starred in the 3-0 win, with a goal and an assist, over Coventry back in September and the manager should consider bringing him back into the starting XI for this clash, after he came off the bench against Cardiff.
The Italy U21 international, who scored as a substitute against the Welsh outfit, has made all of his appearances for the Whites this season on the left or right flank, with eight starts on the left and 13 starts on the right in all competitions.
Farke should, now, unleash the £30k-per-week star in a new role as an attacking midfielder to take Aaronson’s place in the central position behind Joel Piroe. It is a position that he has started in on 16 occasions throughout his career, so it is not entirely unfamiliar to him, but it would be a fresh experience in the current campaign.
Gnonto, who Statman Dave once described as “electric”, has the quality to make an impact at the top end of the pitch and could thrive as a number ten, as it could allow him to operate closer to the box than he usually does out wide.
Starts
20
xG
4.78
Goals
5
Big chances created
9
Assists
5
As you can see in the table above, the Italian sensation has offered plenty to the team in the final third this term, with a return of 14 goals and ‘big chances’ created combined in 20 appearances.
Unlike Aaronson, Gnonto has outperformed against his xG and has almost created a ‘big chance’ every other start on average, which shows that he can offer relatively consistent creativity.
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These statistics suggest that the potential is there for him to provide even more than the American midfielder in a number ten role, which is why Farke should unleash him in that new position this evening.