Sean Longstaff’s Leeds importance showcased by latest Premier League reveal
Sean Longstaff has emerged as one of Leeds United’s most important players already this season.
Leeds United picked up a point in a 2-2 draw with Bournemouth in their last Premier League encounter, and it was the former Newcastle man who stole the headlines at Elland Road.
Longstaff scored and assisted for Leeds in the game, and generally impressed with the level of composure and maturity in his game against the Cherries.
Many looked at his addition as an underwhelming one, myself included, but the latest reveal showcases exactly why that was a wrong call to make.
Leeds United have an absolute gem with Sean Longstaff
Leeds missed out on Habib Diarra and Noah Sadiki to Sunderland in the summer, and when Longstaff arrived, the initial feeling was that it was a massive step down in quality.
How wrong we were.
Since arriving, Longstaff has been exceptional for Leeds, and his experience in the Premier League has been at the forefront of everything he has done so far this season.
Via BBC Sport, since he made his first start for Leeds, no player in the Premier League has made more tackles than Longstaff, with only Tottenham’s Joao Palhinha coming close, with both of them recording 19.
Added to that, only three players have created more chances than him in the division, with the Englishman having created eight since the end of August.
His game at both ends of the pitch has been superb, and he has certainly cemented his starting spot in the starting 11 for now.
What does the future hold for Ao Tanaka?
Before a ball was kicked this season, all of the focus was on Ao Tanaka and how well he could potentially adapt to life in the Premier League.
The early signs were quite promising, but after suffering an injury, Tanaka has lost his place in the Leeds starting 11.
With Ethan Ampadu impressing alongside Longstaff, it begs the question as to where he will fit into the current set-up.
Leeds need depth, but whether they can afford to keep such a valuable player on the bench, given their PSR position, remains to be seen.
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