Aaron Lennon in awe of what Ao Tanaka did in Leeds v Sheffield United
Leeds United increased their advantage at the top of the Championship to five points with a win against Sheffield United on Monday night.
Goals from Junior Firpo, Ao Tanaka and Joel Piroe secured all three points for Leeds in a 3-1 victory against the Blades.
Tanaka earned his plaudits for his performance, but it was a team effort that saw the Whites come from behind yet again to boost their promotion hopes.
Leeds are in the driving seat for promotion, and they have one man in particular to thank for what was another remarkable display in the famous shirt.
Aaron Lennon blown away by Ao Tanaka
Tanaka has been outstanding all season for Leeds, and it was no different for the Japanese international against the Blades.
Not only did he score the goal to take his side in front, but his display at Bramall Lane caught the headlines and rightfully so.
His energy and tenacity in midfield has been crucial throughout the campaign, with very few teams able to cope with the relentless pressing of Tanaka.
| Sheffield United v Leeds | Passes (accuracy) | Goals | Duels (won) | Defensive actions |
| Ao Tanaka | 42 (82%) | 1 | 6 (3) | 12 |
With such consistently impressive performances, he often leaves viewers speechless, which was a very similar feeling to the one of Lennon.
Writing via his personal X account (24 February), Lennon simply spelt out the name “Tanaka” followed by several applauding and praise emojis.
At this stage, words are not needed to describe just how good he has been in this campaign.
Leeds have a gem with Tanaka
Given the fact that Tanaka has had a fairly uneventful career to date, very few will have anticipated him having such a good impact as he has this season.
To put it straight, Tanaka has comfortably been Leeds’ best player this season and easily one of the best throughout the entirety of the Championship.
He appears to be tailor-made to English football and with Leeds looking all but set for promotion, you’d expect him to make the step up almost seamlessly.
Keeping hold of Tanaka may prove to be a challenge in the summer, with it almost inevitable that some top clubs will come sniffing around for his signature.