Darko Gyabi could be new Leeds United star after what he did v Liverpool
Darko Gyabi appeared to hit his peak away from Leeds United in Plymouth Argyle’s huge 1-0 FA Cup win over Liverpool on Sunday.
The defensive midfielder has been one of the Pilgrims’ most important players this term with his defensive work his key asset.
Miron Muslic led his men to an extraordinary win over the Premier League leaders on 9 February and managed to book their place in the next round of the cup, which even Leeds themselves couldn’t manage to do.
However, it was Gyabi’s presence on the pitch which caught the eyes of many.
Darko Gyabi has a bright future ahead of him
Since the 2024/25 season kicked off, the 20-year-old has been a mainstay in Argyles’ starting XI.
Across all competitions this term, the Leeds loanee has made 32 appearances and has managed to contribute to three goals in that time.
And, as per Sofascore, he was once again one of Plymouth’s most important players against Liverpool.
In the 90 minutes he was on the pitch, the midfielder maintained a pass accuracy of 86 per cent and had 28 touches of the ball.
He also successfully completed 100 per cent of the long balls he attempted and had three shots.
Gyabi also completed 100 per cent of the dribbles he attempted in the tie with his defensive work also a sight to behold.
He won 75 per cent of the ground duels he attempted and while he only won 25 per cent of aerial duels, he more than made up for that by only losing possession of the ball three times.
Darko Gyabi could be the new Kalvin Phillips
When both Ilia Gruev and Ethan Ampadu found themselves sidelined due to injury, Leeds were in a bit of a crisis which is why Josuha Guilavogui was brought in the plug the gap.
However, when called upon, the Frenchman hasn’t been at his best and it feels highly unlikely that he’ll receive an extension on top of his current deal.
So, with that in mind, it feels like there’s a more than obvious path for Gyabi to make it into Farke’s first team and perhaps become the new Kalvin Phillips.
The Englishman was pivotal to Marcelo Bielsa’s success during his time in West Yorkshire, and, if Gyabi can become half the player Phillips was in his prime, then the Whites could be onto yet another winner.