Unlikely Leeds star could be key to success vs Wolves as surprising data emerges
Leeds have a surprisingly standout player among their ranks in terms of early-season attacking statistics who is set to be hugely important to their chances of beating Wolves this weekend.
Leeds have struggled in the early stages of their return to the Premier League, with just one win from their first four games as they beat Newcastle on the opening weekend.
Daniel Farke‘s side have looked worlds apart from their impressive free-flowing Championship play that saw them rack up 100 points last term, but they have the chance to gain a huge three points this weekend against Wolves.
The Molineux outfit currently sit bottom of the top-flight, without a point from their first four outings, but they will also be eyeing this Saturday’s (20 September) clash as one that could provide a platform to kickstart their struggling season.
Both Dan James and Wilfried Gnonto are major doubts for the Whites, but Farke should be able to lean on another of his players who doesn’t play in attack to help them to victory based off some surprising early-season figures.
Anton Stach’s great start to life at Leeds outlined with shots and chances created stats
Anton Stach joined Leeds from Hoffenheim for £17million [Sky Sports] in July to bolster Farke’s midfield ranks, and he has played 90 minutes in all four of their league games so far.
Despite being a central, box-to-box midfielder, Stach has actually stood out in numerous attacking metrics so far this season, with the joint-fourth most shots taken (10) and the second-most chances created (11) when compared to every other player in the league.
He is in seriously esteemed company when it comes to the last five players who have reached double figures in each of those metrics in their first four Premier League games, with Santi Cazorla (2012), Eden Hazard (2012), Alexis Sánchez (2014), Pedro (2015), James Rodríguez (2020) making up that list.
Some of those players, like Hazard and Sanchez, are all-time Premier League greats, while the others were standouts in their own right and have been lauded as some of the best in their respective positions in the modern era of football.
The sheer fact that Stach has joined this list alongside those players shows that he can be a real asset to the Whites’ chances of survival this season, and he could be the key to a win against Wolves if he continues his impressive start to life with the Elland Road outfit.
Daniel Farke needs a win against Wolves to allay sack fears
Stach will surely start in midfield for Farke’s side on Saturday, but who he plays next to currently seems unclear with Ao Tanaka and Ethan Ampadu both just returning from injury.
Even though it is still September and this is just the fifth league game of the new season, the Whites are in pretty dire need of three points at Molineux, and the German boss will know that his job could be at risk without a win.
| Games managed | Wins | Draws | Losses | PPG |
| 53 | 7 | 9 | 37 | 0.57 |
Former scout Mick Brown told Football Insider on Tuesday (16 September) that Farke’s Leeds concerns have grown after their loss at Fulham, and he should also be worried about his own job prospects if they continue their winless run.
His record in the Premier League at Norwich City does not make for great reading, and Leeds fans have blasted the club’s failures in the transfer window, so this game against a struggling Wolves already feels like somewhat of a make-or-break for him and the club.