Daniel Farke foolish in Leeds United loss vs Man City after what he did with Brenden Aaronson
Daniel Farke has to take a big chunk of the blame as Leeds United lost 1-0 to Manchester City in the Premier League on Saturday.
Pep Guardiola’s team secured the three points at Elland Road on 28 February as the Sky Blues continue to keep pace with Arsenal at the top of the table.
Farke made no changes to his starting lineup as the Whites looked to continue their three-game unbeaten run in the league, but Antonie Semenyo’s goal just before the break was enough for the Cityzens to get the win in West Yorkshire.
The Peacocks did create a few chances to score, but the hosts were unable to get the better of Gianluigi Donnarumma in LS11, but a few tweaks to the starting lineup could’ve changed that.
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Brenden Aaronson numbers for Leeds United vs Manchester City indicate Lukas Nmecha should’ve started
Brenden Aaronson put in an underwhelming shift against Man City as he played 65 minutes in Leeds’ loss, with his Sofascore graphic below not a pretty read.
The USA international has been a regular for Farke at Elland Road this season, but his recent displays arguably haven’t warranted a place in the starting lineup.
It would’ve made sense for the German manager to start Lukas Nmecha over the 25-year-old midfielder, who missed one of the three big chances the West Yorkshire outfit created on the day, as per Sofascore.
Aaronson had an xG of 0.54 but was unable to make the most of the opportunity presented to him.
The USMNT star had a dismal 42 per cent passing accuracy and lost possession 14 times as the Peacocks failed to get a foothold in the game.
In terms of the midfielder’s defensive contributions, he did little, failing to win any of his three tackles, winning just three of 11 duels and being dribbled past once.
Daniel Farke fortunate despite loss at Elland Road
Leeds are seen as one of the favourites to avoid relegation, but they still aren’t out of danger as West Ham United look to push up the Premier League table.
The Whites are six points above the Hammers with 10 games to go in the league, and they were arguably fortunate that Nuno Espirito Santo was unable to get the better of Liverpool at Anfield on 28 February.
Farke faces a crunch challenge against Sunderland next on 3 March, and home supporters at Elland Road will want to see their team get the three points in West Yorkshire.
It wouldn’t be surprising to see a mini-resurgence from West Ham in the final stretch of the campaign, and the Peacocks can’t afford to take their foot off the gas.
For more in-depth analysis of the Gers, visit Football Insider.