Leeds United came back to winning ways on Friday evening with a 2-1 win over West Ham. The three points relieve some of the pressure on building on Daniel Farke, who made a couple of changes to the team to arrest an alarming run of results and performances.
Brenden Aaronson silenced his critics with a Man of the Match performance, which also included him scoring the opening goal early in the game. Joe Rodon continued his threat from set-piece situations, with another headed goal.
Most Read on The Leeds Press
Leeds sat back and defended with grit and determination in the second half to keep West Ham at bay, and while they conceded a late goal, they did enough to get a win over the line at Elland Road.
Farke was forced to make a couple of changes to the team to get them back on track, and one of those players, Ao Tanaka, showed why he should have been in the team with a solid midfield performance.
Ao Tanaka’s stats show why he must keep starting for Leeds United
He was arguably the Championship’s best midfielder last season and, pound for pound, he is one of Leeds’ best signings in the club’s recent history.
However, Tanaka lost his place in the team to Sean Longstaff after he picked up a knee injury just before the September international break, and since then, it has been a struggle.
The Japanese made his first league start in two months in the win over West Ham after he replaced Anton Stach in the starting eleven on Friday night.
Stach’s form has been on the dip, and there were calls for Tanaka to replace the German in the team, even ahead of the 2-0 defeat at Burnley.
Leeds have won two out of the three Premier League games the Japanese has started, and there is something different he adds to the team with his presence.
PL games won by #LUFC when Ao Tanaka starts: 2/3 (66.66%)
PL games won by Leeds when Tanaka comes off the bench: 1/4 (25%)
PL games won by Leeds when Tanaka doesn’t feature: 0/2 (0%) pic.twitter.com/IZiMk9rFur
— James Marshment (@marshyleeds) October 25, 2025
The Whites just win more games when Tanaka is on the pitch, and his performance on Friday night showed why he should not lose his place in the team.
Tanaka is the progressive passer Farke must persist with
Farke has built this Leeds team to remain solid and bruising in midfield in his bid to ensure that they remain competitive in the Premier League.
Sean Longstaff and Anton Stach’s arrival in the summer was a sign of how Leeds want to play in midfield, with Ethan Ampadu pulling the strings.
Tanaka does not suit that mould. However, in the first half against West Ham, he showed why he cannot be ignored by Farke this season.
When Leeds were on the front foot before the break at Elland Road, Tanaka was in the thick of things with his incisive passing and his precision.
Most of his progressive passing was on display in the first half. However, his influence diminished after the break when Leeds decided to sit back and soak up pressure.
Ilia Gruev came on to ensure Leeds have more protection in midfield. However, in that first half, Tanaka showed why Leeds need him to be better in the final third.
Farke will have a decision to make when they visit Brighton on whether to stick with him or bring back Stach to make Leeds more physical at the Amex Stadium next weekend.
Related Topics