Gabriel Gudmundsson vs Junior Firpo – The numbers show that there is no debate for Leeds
Leeds United were rocked by Junior Firpo’s departure during the summer transfer window.
The 29-year-old became an increasingly important figure over the course of his four-year stay at Elland Road, but he turned down the opportunity of playing in the Premier League again a few months ago.
Firpo left Leeds upon the expiry of his contract and opted to move back to his boyhood club Real Betis, despite the offer of a new deal being put on the table in West Yorkshire.
Gabriel Gudmundsson arrived as the replacement for the outgoing star, and now that the Whites have begun to settle into the new campaign, there is a clear winner in the situation.
Gabriel Gudmundsson is far superior to Junior Firpo at Leeds
It was always going to be difficult for Leeds to replace Firpo, given the immense contributions that he made during their promotion from the Championship.
The Dominican Republic international notched 14 goal contributions from the backline last term, and was one of the first names on the team sheet for Daniel Farke throughout the campaign.
However, few could have foreseen the impressive start that Gudmundsson has made to his career in English football.
The Swede has started every single game in the Premier League so far, and his performances have been putting Firpo’s to shame in the early stages of the campaign.
Statistics show that there is little comparison to be made between the duo this season, with Gudmundsson besting his counterpart’s numbers (per game) in La Liga in almost every important department.
The 26-year-old is currently winning more tackles and duels per game than his predecessor, as well as completing more successful dribbles and recording a higher expected assists total, two things that were heavily associated with Firpo during his time at Leeds.
He is also keeping possession more reliably than Firpo, and is proving himself to be a far more dependable figure than the Real Betis man was.
- Read More: Daniel Farke to hope Leeds don’t go down same path after ‘shameful’ Gabriel Gudmundsson admission
Jayden Bogle has removed Premier League doubts
There were doubts surrounding how Jayden Bogle would perform for Leeds in the Premier League over the summer, given the struggles that he previously endured in the top flight with Sheffield United.
However, the 25-year-old has taken to the top flight like a duck to water upon his return, and those concerns have quickly been eradicated by a string of excellent performances.
Farke now has a pair of reliable and consistent full-backs who are capable of competing with the majority of wingers in the Premier League.
The improvement in the spine of the team has grabbed most of the headlines at Leeds of late, but the displays from the two full-backs have also been hugely encouraging.
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