Jeff Stelling makes U-turn on Ethan Ampadu after what he did in Leeds United vs Sunderland
Ethan Ampadu’s performance versus Sunderland has made Jeff Stelling think twice about the Leeds United star.
Leeds drew 1-1 with Sunderland at the Stadium of Light on Sunday to pick up another important point in the Premier League.
The Whites are now unbeaten in five games and sit seven points clear of the relegation zone in 16th place.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin continued his rich vein of goal-scoring form, netting for the seventh time in six matches from close range.
Although the striker will take the headlines, Ampadu was the one who impressed Stelling the most.
Jeff Stelling claims he was never an Ethan Ampadu fan, until now
Daniel Farke has alleviated pressure from his shoulders in recent weeks, and a big part of that is down to Ampadu.
The Welshman has made the step up to the Premier League, and after 16 top-flight starts this season, his performance versus the Black Cats may have been his best showing yet.
Statistics show that Ampadu was doing both sides of the game for the Whites.
- Ampadu made 14 defensive contributions
- He had 86 touches of the ball
- Ampadu also made six passes into the final third
While discussing Leeds‘ game against Sunderland with Tony Cascarino live on talkSPORT, Stelling shared how his stance on Ampadu has dramatically changed.
Stelling said: “Another player who I haven’t always been the biggest fan of, Ethan Ampadu, I thought was fantastic as well for Leeds.”
Cascarino replied: “And captain, and he’s deserved it. He’s one of the most improved players I’ve seen in recent years, Jeff.”
Stelling responded: “Yes, he’s been brilliant.”
But when looking more in detail at Ampadu’s stats this season, it’s hard to see why the midfielder is only now receiving his plaudits.
Ampadu has been performing all season long; stats prove it
Ampadu was an integral part of Farke’s promotion-winning side from the Championship last season, and started in 26 games.
The 25-year-old can play in midfield and centre back, but Farke continues to play the versatile star alongside Anton Stach and Brenden Aaronson in the middle of the park.
| Matches (started) | Tackles per 90 | Average rating |
| 16 (16) | 2.3 | 7.00 |
As highlighted by Sofascore, Ampadu has an average rating of 7.00 in the Premier League this season.
He is a consistent seven out of ten for Farke and has been putting in performances even when the Whites have been struggling.
As Leeds continue to develop under the Leeds boss’s new 3-5-2 formation, and to the delight of the Peacock Army, Ampadu may now only go from strength to strength.
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