
Leeds United produced a solid away performance to beat Stoke City 2-0 at the bet365 Stadium on Thursday evening. Ahead of their trip to Stoke, Leeds won only three of their ten away games and were winless at their stadium since 2019. Leeds United were also winless on Boxing Day since 2018 and had their work cut out to overcome these historical odds. However, Leeds produced a masterclass of a performance with Ethan Ampadu at the centre of it in the middle of the park.
Ampadu recently returned to the starting eleven after recovering from a knee injury he sustained earlier in the season. Daniel Farke seemed keen to use him at the heart of the Leeds defence when he started at centre-back in their win over Oxford United last weekend.
However, Ampadu joined Leeds last season as a defensive midfielder and was reinstated at the heart of the Leeds midfield at the bet365 Stadium on Boxing Day.
Joel Piroe scored a brace to carry the honours for the 2-0 win at Stoke but Ampadu was absolutely impeccable in midfield and provided Leeds the control they needed on a tough foggy night at the bet365 Stadium.
The Welshman’s return to midfielder also meant that Pascal Struijk came back into the starting eleven as one of the two central defenders and Farke managed to tweak his team without carrying out radical changes.
Ampadu’s performance aside, the Leeds captain also showed why he is the leader of the team and probably the most important player in the squad this season.
Ethan Ampadu is the man for all seasons at Leeds United
Ethan Ampadu has been undroppable from the moment he joined Leeds last summer and took over as captain of the team last season when it became clear that Liam Cooper had run his course as a Whites player.
He officially became the captain at Leeds in the summer and has played every game when he has been completely fit and available.
His return from the knee injury during a busy period has been a blessing for Leeds as it has allowed Farke more flexibility because of the Welshman’s versatility.
Ampadu showed at Stoke that he never forgot any of the beats of midfield operations despite playing as a defender since the latter half of last season.
He completed more than 91 percent of his 102 attempted passes and made three key passes into the final third. With his intelligent player and positioning sense, Ampadu also provided brilliant screening to the Leeds defence.
The Welshman won two tackles and completed two vital clearances to ensure that Leeds remained safe at the back while searching for goals upfront.
Ampadu’s presence in midfield also allowed Leeds to again dominate the ball and control the pace of the game as they walked away comfortable winners from the bet365 Stadium.
He is versatile and that is huge for Daniel Farke
Since his return from the knee injury, the Welshman has played at full-back, centre-back and central midfield and has not looked out of place anywhere on the pitch.
Ampadu’s fitness and availability allow Farke the much-needed flexibility in his team selections as he can move around a few players without affecting the team’s quality.
The Welshman playing in midfield allowed Leeds to give Ao Tanaka a breather after he started every game for the Whites since the start of October.
The Japanese came on in the second half but ensured that he remained fresh for the weekend when Leeds will travel to Pride Park to take on Derby County.
Ampadu’s presence in midfield also meant that Farke could bring back Struijk into the team and at the heart of the Leeds defence. It seemed the Dutchman would suffer due to the Welshman’s return from injury but he was back in central defence at Stoke.
It shows how much value the Leeds captain adds to the team when he is available as his versatility allows Farke to be more flexible with his choices and selections.
