Dakir Thanveer

Wed 19 February 2025 17:10, UK

Pascal Struijk grabbed headlines after Leeds United beat Sunderland 2-1 at Elland Road on Monday, but Joe Rothwell was the orchestrator of the comeback.

Struijk was the unlikely hero for Leeds as they came from a goal behind to claim all three points against Sunderland in the Championship on 17 February, coming on as a substitute and netting both goals for his side.

Rothwell, meanwhile, has gone under the radar despite providing the assists for both goals after coming on as a substitute like Struijk, thus doubling his goal contributions tally for the season.

The Bournemouth loanee deserves due credit for his role in Monday’s win and one pundit has come to the fore to wax lyrical about his performance.

Joe Rothwell made Sam Parkin wish he was playing

Sam Parkin was so impressed with Rothwell’s assist for Struijk’s first goal that he wished he was on the pitch to get on the end of the ball.

The former Luton Town forward was also amazed by the midfielder’s “lovely” cross for the Dutchman’s winner and described both his assists as “brilliant”.

He also shed light on how the Sunderland defenders lost track of Struijk in the build-up to the late winner due to their desperation in the final seconds of the game.

“Rothwell’s first one, when that was in flight, I was almost wishing I was out there”, Parkin said on the Championship Check-in podcast (18 February).

“It was such a tempting ball to go and attack, and Struijk, obviously, did it brilliantly.

“The second one, he comes from really deep, and I think that just disrupts Sunderland because I think in your desperation in that type of period in the game, inevitably, you’re getting across that six-yard ball, you’re getting tight to people and getting physical.

“It is difficult to arrange sometimes and difficult to be aware of someone coming from that deep position, and it’s the way he kind of arrived off the front to get himself into a position, which I think just caught Sunderland out.

“Also, not sure about the goalkeeper on that one. It’s a lovely ball in again from Rothwell, but I just felt that maybe he could have adjusted his position a little bit and maybe made a little bit more of an attempt to get a touch on the ball, but two brilliant assists from Rothwell.

“I think he only had two assists so far this season, so he stepped up on a big night for Leeds.”

Leeds United on course for Premier League promotion

Struijk’s late winner against Sunderland might have been a pivotal moment in Leeds United’s push for Premier League promotion this season.

While there are 13 games still left to play in the Championship, the manner of the win would have made the players and fans feel they are in touching distance with promotion now.

That feeling will only grow stronger if the Whites walk away from Bramall Lane with all three points after they face Sheffield United on Monday, 24 February.

Sheffield United are Leeds’ biggest competitors for the title and automatic promotion and beating them at their own home ground would be a huge boost of confidence for Daniel Farke and Co.

Struijk and Rothwell, meanwhile, will be hoping that their cameos against Sunderland will earn them a place in Farke’s starting line-up on Monday.