Brenden Aaronson in action for Leeds as Daniel Farke looks concerned in circular inset
Credit: Imago
Scott Mason
Sat 21 March 2026 22:30, UK
Brenden Aaronson was taken off by Daniel Farke in Leeds United’s draw against Brentford after 68 minutes, but the decision should have been made much sooner.
The Whites struggled for much of the game to impose themselves going forward, and there was a lack of inventiveness from the LS11 outfit.
Aaronson, who was selected to start, was one of the many who failed to break down the Brentford defence.
In the end, it came as no surprise that Farke had chosen the attacking midfielder to be part of his first changes of the game.
However, the German should have made that choice much sooner, as Leeds were held to a goalless draw against Brentford.
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Brenden Aaronson struggled to compete against Brentford
Aaronson has been one of Leeds’ most influential attackers this campaign, with the American joint-second for most combined goals and assists in the Premier League.
So far, the 25-year-old has scored four and assisted three this season.
Player Goals + Assists
Dominic Calvert-Lewin 11
Lukas Nmecha. Anton Stach, Brenden Aaronson 7
Noah Okafor 4
However, against Brentford he was unable to add to that account, and at any point it did not look like he could.
Throughout his 68-minute appearance, the American completed just 64 per cent of his passes, lost possession on 10 occasions, and won just four of his 15 duels, as per Sofascore.
Known for his creativity, the Whites’ number 11 created just one chance and made one pass into the final third.
It was a performance to forget for Aaronson.
Brenden Aaronsen stats against Brentford
Credit: Breaking Media/Sofascore
Daniel Farke’s decision-making could relegate Leeds
Leeds’ performance was far from inspiring, and that much was clear after just one half. The Peacocks needed fresh legs, as Farke’s game plan was not working.
It was strange that the German ultimately took until the 68th minute before opting to switch things up.
68 – Tanaka for Aaronson. Okafor for Nmecha.
0-0#lufc
— Graham Smyth (@GrahamSmyth) March 21, 2026
View Tweet
If changes were made sooner at Elland Road, then the LS11 outfit could have caused more issues for Keith Andrews’ side.
In the end, Leeds would simply have to settle for a point, but the win was there for taking with more imaginative subs from Farke.
Farke will now have to hope this draw does not come back to haunt Leeds at the end of the season.