Lukas Nmecha second to only Erling Haaland for metric that demonstrates he’s underutilised at Leeds
Lukas Nmecha deserves a lot more gametime than he has been getting at Leeds.
For reasons that don’t need much explaining, Dominic Calvert-Lewin has been the starting striker whenever fit at Leeds this season.
The Englishman has 10 goals in the Premier League and has popped up with some huge moments to give the Whites the six-point cushion they have on the bottom three.
However, his form throughout the campaign has restricted the gametime for Nmecha and for Joel Piroe, and the stats from the former showcase why he deserves more of a look-in ahead of the final 10 games of the season.
Lukas Nmecha second in Premier League for stat that showcases his use
Despite having started just seven games for Leeds in the Premier League this season, Nmecha has scored six goals and registered an assist.
Granted, a handful of those have been from the penalty spot, but the German has often been influential in the build-up to the penalty being awarded.
It means that the 27-year-old is averaging a goal involvement almost every 100 minutes this season, which is among the best records in the league.
Added to that, Nmecha is averaging 0.76 xG per 90 in the Premier League, which is a stat bettered only by Erling Haaland at Man City.
And what that shows is that the German is getting into the positions to score the goals, and is only underperforming his xG per game by 0.02, which is the same as Calvert-Lewin.
Nmecha also averages 11.19 passes per 90, which, while that is not a lot, it is still almost three more than Calvert-Lewin, showcasing his ability to get involved in the game more, even if he isnt getting on the score sheet.
How can Daniel Farke get more from Nmecha?
The simple answer is to play him more.
Despite all of the positive signs above, Nmecha has played more than 25 minutes in just three of the last 10 encounters across all competitions, with two of those games being in the FA Cup.
His goals-to-minute ratio showcases the threat he can pose in games, but that will only come to fruition more if Farke starts to utilise him a lot more frequently than he has been.
The option to play him alongside Calvert-Lewin is there, or he can simply replace the Englishman in the starting 11.
Calvert-Lewin has scored just two goals in his last 10 games, whereas Nmecha has two in his last four, despite playing fewer minutes.
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