Leeds United will be looking to record their first Premier League victory since November when they welcome Brentford to Elland Road this afternoon.
Jesse Marsch‘s side clinched safety against the Bees last season but now face a tougher test, with the west Londoners unbeaten in eight and on the cusp of breaching the top six.
The American head coach will be hoping that the Whites can transition their midweek FA Cup win into the league, where they are desperate to pick up points, with another relegation battle still looming.
He can do himself and the club a massive favour by unleashing returning winger Luis Sinisterra from the off, perhaps over the underperforming Brenden Aaronson.
Despite being a regular since his summer switch from RB Salzburg, the USMNT international has struggled for form as his 6.52 rating sees him rank 11th overall in the current squad, having managed only one goal and two assists, via WhoScored.
Just one of those contributions have come over his last 13 outings, in which the Yorkshiremen have won just twice and have scored more than two goals in five of those outings, per Transfermarkt.
Sinisterra, meanwhile, has been absent with injury for several months and if he were available, then you’d imagine Aaronson would have been dropped a long time ago. In just nine appearances, of which only six have been starts, the Colombia international has found the net twice – on top of a goal and assist in the Carabao Cup, too.
On his day, the 23-year-old is an “exciting” and “mouth-watering” talent – in the words of ex-Leeds goalkeeper Paul Robinson – and one that could cause serious damage to Brentford, whose weakness appears to be in defending the flanks and against skilful players, according to WhoScored.
The tricky 5 foot 10 winger, who cost around £21m from Feyenoord, must therefore be unleashed from the off against the Bees as his presence on the pitch as the “animal” that compatriot Juan Cuadrado once dubbed him could give Marsch and co the best chances of picking up a victory.
Whilst there will be calls for new club-record signing Georginio Rutter to make his debut, for now, it should be the “Paul Gascoigne-esque” Sinisterra – as once described by MEN contributor Conor McGilligan – who gets the nod in west Yorkshire today.
AND in other news, Orta could seal “a great deal” with “incredible” third Leeds signing in £22m “protege”…
from FootballFanCast.com https://ift.tt/N1I6cOp
via IFTTT