Ethan Ampadu nearly stopped Sunderland goal vs Leeds, here’s how
Leeds captain Ethan Ampadu nearly prevented the opening goal in their 1-1 draw with Sunderland on Sunday.
Leeds left the Stadium of Light with a point, as Dominic Calvert-Lewin extended his scoring streak to seven goals in six matches.
However, a more sour point was Joe Rodon’s injury, which Daniel Farke believes will potentially keep him out of Leeds’ next three matches.
Rodon‘s issue was central to Simon Adingra’s opener, as he was caught out trying to defend, and was far too slow as a result of the problem.
How Ampadu nearly stopped Sunderland’s goal vs Leeds
Leeds scored a beautiful team goal, with every player touching the ball, but it was not enough to secure all three points.
However, Ampadu nearly ensured that they did, as he actually urged Rodon to go down before the free-kick that led to the goal.
Yorkshire Evening Post reporter Graham Smyth claimed to have witnessed the moment as the Welshman screamed to the Whites’ bench.
In his unseen moments from the clash, he said: “Ethan Ampadu screaming a message to the Leeds subs immediately prior to the Sunderland goal.
“It related to Joe Rodon who was clearly struggling and needing to go down or come off. Ampadu seemed to tell him to go down but he played on and then after the goal was substituted.”
Why Ampadu is the perfect captain for Leeds
Ampadu embodies what it means to be Leeds captain, he is not afraid to make crunching tackles, and he regularly puts his body on the line for the team.
That has come with consequences in the past, with the 25-year-old spending significant time on the sidelines since joining the Elland Road club from Chelsea in 2023.
His leadership has been recognised with a mural in the city centre, and he has shown once again why he has the armband in LS11 with his actions against the Black Cats.
He has been an integral part of Leeds’ success in recent years, especially last season, as the Peacocks secured an emotional return to the top-flight.
If only Rodon, and the Whites staff had listened to their skipper, they may have come away with all three points from a tough game, where they deserved to win.
Of course, hindsight is a wonderful thing, and you never know what may have happened had the Mackems not scored the opener when they did, but in theory, the Peacocks would have won.
Enjoyed this article? Stay connected with all the latest Leeds United news, updates, and behind-the-scenes content by following us on our new Instagram account – @motleedsnews