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Ao Tanaka and Joe Rothwell have pushed Leeds United to next level – analysis

Leeds United had another tough time away from home at Preston North End on Saturday and only managed to salvage a draw following an own goal from the home side in stoppage time. However, it was another game that Leeds completely dominated and looked comfortable in. Daniel Farke’s teams are taking control of the midfield in almost every game and it has largely been down to the performance of Ao Tanaka and Joe Rothwell.

The Yorkshire giants sit second in the Championship standings and are one of the favourites to earn automatic promotion to the Premier League this season.

Leeds’ home form has been terrific, winning nine of their eleven league games and their strong showing at home has been down to the stability they have in the middle of the park this season.

The Whites signed Tanaka towards the end of the window from Fortuna Dusseldorf and Rothwell was acquired on loan from Bournemouth in the last summer transfer window.

Both Tanaka and Rothwell took some time to adapt to Leeds but since they broke into the starting eleven, the duo have been close to indispensable in the middle of the park for the Whites.

Leeds have scored the most number of goals in the Championship this season but it has been based on a strong defence and midfield that dominates proceedings from the first minute.

Tanaka and Rothwell provide Leeds United with consistency in midfield

Tanaka and Rothwell are not only tireless workers off the ball but they also provide stability on it and rarely lose possession in the middle of the park.

Leeds United dominate possession in most games and it is down to the stable base Rothwell and Tanaka provide as a pair because of their ability to control proceedings.

On average, the Whites have control of 62 percent of the ball in the Championship this season, which is huge and is a key part of Daniel Farke’s tactical plan.

The Leeds recruitment team deserve immense credit for identifying Tanaka and Rothwell as they have fitted into the manager’s system perfectly.

Farke likes control in the middle of the park as it not only allows the forwards to express themselves but also provides security to the defence at the back.

The two Leeds summer signings have allowed Farke to play the kind of football he wants to play without feeling worried about his defence getting exposed.

The numbers behind Tanaka and Rothwell’s performances

Tanaka and Rothwell look good on the eye because of their ability to keep ticking along in the middle and even the numbers this season back up their strong showings.

Rothwell has two assists but he is in the team more for his ability to hold the ball and knit together the play rather than being the creator from midfield.

The Bournemouth loanee has a 91 percent pass completion rate, which shows that he rarely loses the ball and he provides the control that Farke loves his teams to have.

Despite just two assists, Rothwell’s contribution in attack is still immense and he plays a big role in the build-up. An average of 1.5 key passes per game is a testament to what he does on the pitch for Leeds.

The midfielder also rarely loses the ball on the pitch and that is one more reason why he can exert more control from the middle of the park for Leeds.

Tanaka is of a similar profile but he is more adventurous than Rothwell. The Japan star has similar passing percentage stats and averages close to one key pass per fixture.

He gets in a shooting range for Leeds often with his late runs and averages close to one shot per game for the Whites. The midfielder also rarely loses the ball and like Rothwell, he provides that high level of control from midfield.

It is easy to see from the numbers why Tanaka and Rothwell have emerged as Farke’s preferred midfield duo and why Leeds dominate most games.

The Leeds boss would want the two to do a bit more in attack and increase their output in the final third. However, the control they provide from midfield allows the midfield and defence to do their jobs with more security.

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