Farke may now have found the new Ben White in 7/10 Leeds machine

Despite the foggy conditions causing all sorts of problems for spectators and players alike, Leeds United still managed to pick up a relatively straightforward victory over Stoke City on Boxing Day.

The 2-0 win away at the Potters sends the Whites to the very top of the Championship summit, having capitalised on Sheffield United falling to a rare defeat at home to then confidently brush aside Narcís Pelach’s lacklustre hosts.

Joel Piroe would be the difference maker on the night, as the former Swansea City man bagged both his side’s strikes with the harsh elements thankfully not getting the better of the Dutchman’s clinical nature in front of goal.

Piroe’s performance in numbers

The Whites number ten does have a tendency to blow hot and cold for his promotion-chasing side, considering he hadn’t scored in his last five league outings before this brace against Stoke.

From just 32 touches of the ball, Piroe would show off a killer instinct in the forward positions that once saw him net a mightily impressive 22 Championship goals for ex-employers Swansea during the 2021/22 campaign, before then embarking on a new adventure in West Yorkshire.

Away from just being a goalscoring hero, Piroe also tallied up two key passes to try and fashion openings for his teammates, whilst further winning four duels to get stuck in and battle during what was an attritional contest at points.

Purchased towards the start of Farke’s reign at the club, the Dutchman is proving to still be a worthwhile addition, especially if his contributions up top go on to result in promotion glory finally being achieved.

But, there is another face in the Leeds ranks now that is shining even brighter than the two-goal striker, as the table-toppers have seemingly found yet another gem utilising the loan market.

Leeds’ new Ben White

Once upon a time – before he became a Premier League regular at Arsenal – Ben White was a beloved loan figure at Elland Road, with the 27-year-old present for every single minute of Championship action that could come his way during Leeds’ title-winning season under Marcelo Bielsa.

Fast forward to today and Joe Rothwell will hope he’s remembered in a similarly fond light when this campaign is over and done with, as the Whites also manage to break out of the second tier again.

As can be seen looking at the table above, Rothwell put in another typically composed display for his loan side, with only five misplaced passes next to his name come the full-time whistle from his 95 touches.

Much like Piroe, however, the 29-year-old also won his fair share of duels in the Stoke fog away from just stylishly going about his business, with only one duel lost from five attempted.

Yorkshire Evening Post journalist Joe Donnohue would praise Rothwell’s showing at the full-time whistle, gifting the 6 foot 1 star a high 7/10 match rating, stating that the Leeds number eight was ‘energetic’ throughout.

Leeds will hope now that their new standout loanee – in the mould of White – can keep these performances coming, having already tasted a second tier promotion success on his playing CV with parent employers AFC Bournemouth.

Of course, supporters of the West Yorkshire outfit know all too well the twists and turns this division can throw up, but if players such as Rothwell and Piroe can continue to perform to these standards, Leeds should be in and around those automatic promotion spots right up until May.

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