Brenden Aaronson should be ashamed of his comments after Chelsea vs Leeds United
Brenden Aaronson has just summarised everything wrong with his mindset as the attacking midfielder’s struggles worsen at Leeds United.
Despite assisting goals in back-to-back games against Wolves and Man United this month, the USA international has failed to hit the back of the net since his brace against Newcastle United in January.
He had a brilliant chance to break that streak against Chelsea in the FA Cup semi-final, being sent through with just Robert Sanchez to beat in the 15th minute.
Very few at Wembley Stadium would have expected him to score, even with four goals and five assists in the league this season, and unsurprisingly, the Leeds man fired straight at the Chelsea shot-stopper.
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VISIT THE LEEDS MATCH HUBBrenden Aaronson squandered chance to put Leeds blues behind him
It was the 25-year-old’s only shot on target during his entire 86 minutes on the pitch, and had he taken the chance, the Whites might have been the ones facing Manchester City in the final.
And instead of taking accountability for his frustrating miss, he chose to congratulate the opposition goalkeeper. Daniel Farke shouldn’t be accepting this from one of his attacking players.
After the game, Aaronson said, “I know in that moment in time, I was confident over the ball. I knew where I wanted to put it, and I put it in the right spot. Sometimes you’ve got to put your hands up to the goalkeeper.”
| Brenden Aaronson vs Chelsea | Stats [FotMob] |
| Minutes played | 86 |
| Touches | 42 |
| Passing accuracy | 82% (14/17) |
| Chances created | 0 |
| Successful dribbles | 50% (1/2) |
| Dispossessed | 3 |
| Tackles | 6 |
| Ground duels won | 67% (8/12) |
It felt like he had an age to pick his spot and fire past Sanchez. Moments later, he had his hands on his head, and while some Leeds fans decided to clap, many were furious with the player.
What does Aaronson’s future hold at Elland Road?
With the player about to head into the final 12 months of his contract, Football Insider understands that Farke wants Aaronson to extend his deal at Elland Road.
The USA international is certainly a good squad option, potentially seeing him come off the bench late on in the second half of games, but there is no way that he should be a starter in 2026-27.
He continues to let his teammates down, just like his missed opportunity in the FA Cup final, and rather than take responsibility, he believes he did everything right at Wembley Stadium.
Had Dominic Calvert-Lewin or Noah Okafor been in the same position, the travelling fans likely would have been bouncing up and down in jubilation. Had either of them missed it, they wouldn’t be blaming a good save.
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