Credit: Imago

Aheed Abrar

Mon 27 April 2026 21:10, UK

Brenden Aaronson failed to turn up when Leeds United needed him the most against Chelsea in the FA Cup semi-final on Sunday.

The USMNT star missed a glorious opportunity to give the Whites the lead, and minutes later, Enzo Fernandez pounced on an opportunity after Pascal Struijk’s error at the back.

Daniel Farke has shown complete faith in the American attacker this season, despite his inconsistent displays for the West Yorkshire outfit.

It ended up being a lacklustre performance from the German manager’s team on the day as they failed to put things together in the final third.

Farke’s journey to Wembley was exciting, but once again, the Peacocks have come up short under the arch as the Blues book their place in the final to face Manchester City.

Daniel Farke has Brenden Aaronson dilemma at Leeds United

Aaronson played 86 minutes before being replaced by Sean Longstaff for the final minutes of the game.

The USMNT star attempted two shots, with one on target, missed one big chance and completed 82 per cent of his passes, as per Sofascore.

What will be damning for some is that the 25-year-old playmaker recorded a total progression of minus five meters, meaning he failed to advance the ball into the final third from deeper areas.

In contrast, Noah Okafor recorded a total progression of 79.2 meters against Chelsea, highlighting Aaronson’s inability to make much of an impact in possession and potentially eroding some of Farke’s trust in him.

The American midfielder also lost possession 10 times, failed to complete one of his dribbles, made zero key passes and was questionable defensively, winning just two of his six attempted tackles.

Elland Road winter transfer backfires for 49ers Enterprises

Leeds signed Facundo Buananotte in the winter transfer window, but the Argentine midfielder has mostly been out of Farke’s plans in LS11.

It’s clear that the Whites could have done with a bit more attacking depth in January, but 49ers Enterprises failed to make the right recruitment decisions.

Aaronson hasn’t faced significant competition for his place in the starting lineup, which the German manager needs to answer for, with the likes of Lukas Nmecha, Daniel James and Joel Piroe playing backup roles in the current campaign.

Had Paraag Marathe splashed some cash mid-season, the West Yorkshire outfit’s prospects in the FA Cup may have been different.