Anton Stach matches 25-year Leeds United record with Aston Villa stunner
Anton Stach’s brilliant free-kick against Aston Villa put him alongside Leeds United greats.
Stach swapped Hoffenheim for Leeds last summer for around £17million on a four-year contract.
Since then, he has scored four goals and added three assists in 22 Premier League appearances for the Elland Road outfit.
After a spell on the sidelines with a hip injury, Stach scored a goal of the season contender with a brilliant free-kick from just over 30 yards out at Villa Park on Saturday.
While Tammy Abraham grabbed a late equaliser in the 1-1 draw, Daniel Farke‘s midfield maestro equalled a Leeds record dating back 25 years.
The 27-year-old became the second player, after Ian Harte, to score three or more direct free-kicks in a Premier League season.
- Read more: Anton Stach free-kick masterclass for Leeds United all the more remarkable after new admission
Anton Stach leading the way in Europe
So far, Stach is developing a reputation for scoring wondergoals for Leeds, who sit six points clear of the relegation zone.
While the 6ft 4in player has picked up a couple of knocks for Leeds this term, Stach has been an astute signing for the Yorkshire outfit.
His ball progression skills, set-piece ability, physicality, and running power have helped Leeds turn into a very competitive side in recent months.
Now, according to Opta Analyst, his prowess from set-pieces has come to the fore. They state no player has scored more goals directly from free-kicks in Europe’s top five leagues than the German.
Moreover, according to Sofascore, Stach made six recoveries, two interceptions, two clearances, and scored against Villa from an expected goal tally of just 0.04.
Leeds will hope he can continue this knack of scoring spectacular goals as they aim to stay in the Premier League.
Leeds’ worrying trend threatens to derail progress made
On paper, a point at third-placed Villa is a good result for Leeds, who sit 15th in the Premier League table.
The result meant Leeds have lost just twice in their last 14 league games ahead of a tough test against second-placed Manchester City on Saturday.
And with Nottingham Forest and Tottenham losing, in addition to West Ham drawing, Leeds still hold a slight cushion over their relegation rivals.
However, one potential area for concern for Leeds is their struggles to hold onto leads this season.
Leeds have now dropped 17 points from winning positions this season – the fifth-highest in the Premier League.
If they want to stay in the division, they may need to turn more of those draws into wins and losses into draws between now and May.
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