As full home debuts can go, Sean Longstaff's could not have gone much better. He was here, there and everywhere against his former club as Leeds United picked up another valuable point in their battle to avoid relegation.
It was a classic Longstaff performance. He worked tirelessly with and without the ball, covering plenty of ground. He put his foot in and constantly looked to disrupt Newcastle's rhythm. There were also moments where Longstaff attempted to get forward from deep and support the attack. It was an encouraging outing and Longstaff's display was one of the big plus points heading into the international break.
"Longstaff is going to be one of the bargains of the summer. I think it was around £12m, rising to £15m," said Match of the Day pundit Danny Murphy. "He was terrific for a couple of seasons at Newcastle and deserves all the plaudits. I thought he was outstanding."
After being forced to wait patiently for his opportunity to stake a claim, Longstaff certainly seized his big moment. He looks nailed on to start when United resume their Premier League campaign away at Fulham a week today.
Injuries to Ethan Ampadu and Ao Tanaka opened the door for Longstaff to show what he can bring to the table in their survival battle. Ampadu and Tanaka are both recovering from MCL knee injuries.
Could Ampadu and Tanaka return to action for the trip to Craven Cottage? Possibly.
Daniel Farke suggested the influential midfield duo would be out of action for a couple of weeks. Tanaka will be slightly behind with his recovery compared to Ampadu after being forced off in the second half of the Arsenal drubbing.
There will be serious competition for places in the middle of the park when Ampadu and Tanaka are available for selection again. Given United only play three times in September, it will be intriguing to see how Farke manages his midfield over the coming weeks.
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