Daniel Farke’s fears came true against Burnley as Leeds United just couldn’t find the back of the net despite trying desperately for 90 minutes.
Scott Parker’s men, on the other hand, just needed four shots on goal, with three on target, to convert two. Even after outperforming the home side on all fronts, the Whites just couldn’t finish the job when it came to facing the goalkeeper.
Anton Stach was on free-kick duty again as the German decided to curl it straight towards Dubravka. Dominic Calvert-Lewin saw an early chance when the English striker tried to score a bicycle kick early into the game, which ended up way off the mark.
The Yorkshire outfit had four shots on target and 19 shots in total. Despite Burnley being a defensive team, the differentiator came in converting, as Ugochukwu and Tchaouna didn’t fail their job.
Leeds United star Brenden Aaronson faces criticism
Brenden Aaronson hasn’t yet caught up to the Premier League level (Credits: Imago Images)
American attacker Brenden Aaronson probably had the best chance of the game. The 24-year-old missed a clear shot on goal as he hit the ball towards the goalkeeper, which then deflected off the post.
The New Jersey native has been scrutinised for his efforts as Farke has been handing him significant roles this season. Football pundit Clinton Morrison called out the winger on Sky Sports after his terrible finish against the Clarets.
“He’s in on goal, and he should score. He tries to pass it around Dubravka, he saves it, and it goes onto the post. People will say it’s a great save, I’m going to say it’s a bad miss. In that situation, you’ve got to score. It’s a terrible miss.”
Many people are calling out the save from Dubravka, but Morrison can only see the miss, which could’ve offered Leeds United a flare for a comeback.
Aaronson’s form
Despite having played eight matches this season, the American youngster has failed to score or assist a single goal this season. His xG and npxG both stand at 1.1.
The 24-year-old’s xAG is 0.9, as all the stats are signalling towards an underperformance in the Premier League. Aaronson produced results last season as the Whites aimed for promotion, achieving it by garnering 100 points.
Although it is early to judge but the attacker has still maintained his pass completion rate even after being promoted to a more physical league, signalling good fundamentals.
However, in just eight matches, he ranks very low among his peers when it comes to combined expected non-penalty goals and assists compared to the last season.
