Paul Merson reacts to Ampadu return at Leeds United v Swansea after what he saw
Ethan Ampadu returned to action for Leeds United on Saturday after missing weeks with another injury.
Leeds United were held to a 2-2 draw against Swansea at Elland Road as Daniel Farke’s men lost their grip on the top spot in the Championship.
Farke made two changes to his starting line-up, bringing in Sam Byram and Ampadu for Junior Firpo and Ao Tanaka.
Amapdu suffered a knee injury back in mid-February but had returned to training during the international break, starting alongside Joe Rothwell.
How did Ampadu’s return go?
The Wales international did not light up the game but was a decent outlet for Leeds in the midfield.
He completed 23 passes and had 41 touches on the ball. Defensively, Ampadu made two clearances and five recoveries and was also yellow-carded in the first half.
Speaking live on Sky Sports [29 March, 16:08], Paul Merson was quizzed on the captain, saying: “Bit rusty, a bit rusty, he’s got booked in the first half, but he, he’s always there for the ball, he’s always there showing.
| Club | Matches | Points |
| 1. Sheffield United | 39 | 83 |
| 2. Leeds United | 39 | 81 |
| 3. Burnley | 39 | 81 |
“You know, they haven’t had a lot of the ball, they haven’t been dominant at all, but he’s always there to show, he always trucks his runners. They’re a better team with him in it, but at the moment, they started the second half really well again.”
Leeds took the lead in the first minute via Brenden Aaronson, before an Illan Meslier howler allowed Harry Darling to stab home in the second half.
In search of a winner, Farke rolled the dice and brought on Wilfried Gnonto in the 85th minute, who scored in less than 120 seconds of being on the pitch.
The Whites looked set to walk away with all three points, but they conceded in the last minute of the second-half stoppage time as Zan Vipotnik crushed Leeds’ hopes of going back to the top of the Championship table.
Leeds United cannot afford to falter
Farke’s men now have just one win in their last five games, dropping nine points in that time.
If Leeds continue to drop points, they risk losing their spot in the top two as Burnley and Sheffield United continue to pick up points. The race for automatic promotion is intense, with the three sides separated by just two points.
The West Yorkshire side have two tricky away fixtures next as they face Luton Town, followed by a trip to Middlesbrough.
Farke has to turn things around quickly with the likes of Ampadu, or he faces the sack.