Marcelo Bielsa’s ‘favourite player’ stars for Bournemouth and can cause huge issues for Leeds
Leeds United welcome Bournemouth to Elland Road on Saturday hoping to continue their bright start to the season.
The Whites have picked up seven points from their first five games this season, although Bournemouth have done even better. They have 10 points and currently occupy fourth place in the Premier League table.
Still, Leeds have a remarkable home record against Bournemouth and will be confident about securing a positive result.
To do so, they’ll have to nullify Bournemouth’s attacking threat. There’s one Cherries player who Leeds are very familiar with that could prove to be the most problematic for Daniel Farke’s side.
Leeds will be wary of David Brooks, having tried to sign him at least twice in the past
David Brooks has emerged as a key element of Bournemouth’s midfield in recent times. The Welsh midfielder has featured in all of the Cherries matches this season and has contributed to their good form.
He wasn’t always so indespensible to Bournemouth though. Leeds were within a whisker of signing Brooks on loan two seasons ago, but he opted to join Southampton instead.
Before that, Marco Bielsa was a huge fan of Brooks who tried to bring him to Leeds as well. He was dubbed as Bielsa’s ‘favourite player’ in the media at one point. Ultimately though, he has remained at Bournemouth and Farke will need to develop a plan to thwart him on Saturday.
Leeds midfield stars have enough talent to dominate most Premier League games
Leeds were very busy in the summer transfer market, and several of their new signings have already made a fantastic impact.
Anton Stach and Sean Longstaff have developed a dominant partnership in midfield, allowing Leeds to control the ball for long periods during most of their Premier League games.
Stach has also been one of the most productive players in the league when it comes to creating chances.
This duo has been so crucial for Leeds in the early part of the season.
- They are very good at pressing and winning the ball back in promising areas
- They rarely give the ball away and can help Leeds maintain possession when under pressure
- They are developing relationships with Leeds’ attacking players, consistently finding them in good positions.
Stach and Longstaff have the ability to dominate midfield in most Premier League games this season. If they can continue their sterling form against Bournemouth, Leeds have a great chance of picking up some points.
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