Former Premier League forward Tony Cascarino has explained why he never lost faith in Leeds United following their Premier League win over West Ham.
There was a feeling of nervous anxiety around Leeds ahead of the Premier League clash with West Ham, a game which many considered to be a must-win.
This was followed by an outpouring of relief after goals from impressive midfielder Brenden Aaronson and centre-back Joe Rodon set Leeds on the path to victory.
Leeds boss Daniel Farke is in the process of silencing his critics as Leeds opened up a six-point gap on the relegation zone after nine games of the season.
The pressure on the game was ramped up by Leeds’ defeat against Burnley the previous week. Now, Tony Cascarino has explained why he never lost faith in the Whites, despite the loss at Turf Moor.
Sean Longstaff takes a corner during Leeds United v West Ham United - Premier League
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Tony Cascarino praises Leeds United after West Ham win
Speaking on TalkSport, Cascarino explained why he believed Leeds were deserving winners in their game against the Hammers.
According to Cascarino, Leeds’ midfield overran their opponents, and there was a visible difference in quality between the two sides.
Cascarino said: “They deserved it. Their midfield is full of energy. They can all pass the ball. They defended well. I thought Leeds played really well at Burnley, and they lost 2 -0. But they created a lot of chances. Didn’t take any of them. And Burnley were really good on the day as well.
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“The teams that have come up have had to look at the standard of what the Premier League’s about. You know, and it’s a massive challenge for these clubs that come up.
Before adding: “Look how much, how many changes the club’s made. Loads of them that come up. Burnley, Leeds, you know, most definitely made loads of changes.
“You’ve seen it, Sunderland made a huge amount of changes to their recruitment. So they’ve looked at it and gone, if we’re going to stay up, we have to have a different calibre of player.”
Daniel Farke celebrates after Leeds United v West Ham United - Premier League
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Sean Longstaff is the driving force in the Leeds United midfield
Cascarino singled out the Leeds midfield for their role in the win over West Ham, and the trio of Ao Tanaka, Ethan Ampadu and Sean Longstaff all impressed in their own right.
Although Aaronson took the headlines after the game, Longstaff was one of Leeds’ most effective performers, in a performance which contained much more than just his assist for Rodon’s goal.
Sean Longstaff versus West Ham:
Touches: 44
Accurate Passes: 24
Assists: 1
Tackles: 4
Blocks: 1
Ground Duels Won: 5
Longstaff was handed a 7.8 rating by FotMob, and that assessment is backed by his underlying statistics from the game, as he made a difference at both ends of the pitch.
The summer signing made four tackles, four recoveries and won five of the six ground duels he attempted to go with his decisive contribution in the first half.