Leeds United extended their lead over third-placed Burnley by a significant seven points in the Championship after producing another remarkable comeback to defeat Sheffield United 3-1 at Bramall Lane.
Trailing 1-0 at half-time following an own goal by Illan Meslier, Leeds fought back in the second half, scoring three goals, two of which came in the final moments of regular time.
Junior Firpo, Ao Tanaka, and Joel Piroe were the heroes for Leeds, as they took another important step toward automatic promotion to the Premier League this season.
Under the guidance of Daniel Farke, Leeds completed a league double over Sheffield United, having already beaten them 2-0 at Elland Road earlier in the campaign. With the victory, they now sit five points clear at the top, as Farke aims to secure his third title at this level.
Leeds United’s Match-Winners Against Sheffield United
After Firpo scored a brilliant header to equalize in the 72nd minute, there was still plenty of time for either side to find a winner.
Rather than being overwhelmed by the home crowd, Leeds dominated the game, continuing to create chances and eventually taking the lead in the 88th minute.
Firpo, who had scored the equalizer, flicked the ball to Tanaka, who scored with a superb header that eluded Sheffield United defenders on the line, sparking jubilant scenes in the away end behind the goal.
A minute later, Leeds were 3-1 up after Piroe struck a powerful shot from 20 yards that beat goalkeeper Michael Cooper, who may feel he could have done more to keep it out.
Championship Top Scorers (25/02/2025)
As shown in the table above, Joel Piroe is now level with Norwich City’s Borja Sainz at the top of the Championship goal-scoring charts with 15 goals. This highlights just how impressive Piroe has been in front of goal for Leeds.
While Leeds enjoyed notable contributions from Firpo, Piroe, and Tanaka, there were also some disappointing individual performances, notably from Meslier.
Illan Meslier’s Performance Against Sheffield United
The French goalkeeper did not have the best first half against Sheffield United. His shaky moments early on set the tone for the team’s performance in the opening 45 minutes.
Meslier mishandled several crosses into his penalty area, and one cross he failed to reach was cleared off the line by Ilia Gruev, who managed to head the ball away just before it crossed the line to give Sheffield United the lead.
Unfortunately for Meslier, he was not as fortunate later in the half, when a header from Vinicius Souza hit the post and bounced back into his own net after Meslier palmed the ball back across the goal line.
Despite these errors, Meslier went on to make four saves in the match and won all three of his aerial battles, suggesting that his performance was not completely disastrous.
24/25 Championship Stats
As shown in the table, despite keeping 20 clean sheets, Meslier’s stats reveal a slight underperformance as a shot-stopper.
The Leeds Star Who Should Be Dropped After Sheffield United
While Meslier wasn’t the worst performer on the pitch for Leeds, Brenden Aaronson struggled in the number ten role and failed to step up.
Although Aaronson may not be immediately dropped from the starting lineup—given that Leeds currently lacks another natural attacking midfielder—he could be left out of the team if Leeds gain promotion to the Premier League.
The USA international had a disappointing season with Leeds in the Premier League during the 2022/23 campaign, and his recent performance against Sheffield United raised further concerns. TEAMtalk writer James Marshment described Aaronson’s performance as “anonymous,” and his statistics seem to back up that assessment.
In his 58 minutes on the pitch, Aaronson didn’t create any significant chances for his teammates, failed to register a shot on goal, and lost five of his seven duels. This makes his performance even less effective than Meslier’s, who at least made key saves to help keep Leeds in the game.
Despite the team’s late heroics from Piroe and Tanaka, Aaronson’s ineffective display left Leeds chasing the game when he was substituted, with the team trailing 1-0 with less than 30 minutes remaining.
Aaronson’s Form Against the Championship Top Six
As the table above indicates, Aaronson has struggled against the top six teams in the Championship this season, registering no goal contributions in nine matches against the best sides in the league. This further suggests that he may not be ready for the Premier League, despite his return of eight goals and two assists in the Championship.
Given Aaronson’s lack of impact against high-quality opposition, it may be time for Leeds and Farke to consider parting ways with the American if the club achieves promotion. His underwhelming performances suggest he is unlikely to improve in the top flight, especially since he has already struggled in the Premier League.
Conclusion
Leeds United’s victory over Sheffield United was another impressive performance, with Firpo, Tanaka, and Piroe delivering the goods. However, there are still areas of concern, especially regarding Meslier’s and Aaronson’s performances.
While Meslier’s shaky moments didn’t overshadow the result, his overall performance, combined with Aaronson’s poor showing, shows that Leeds may need to make changes if they secure promotion. With more consistent contributions from key players like Piroe, Leeds can look forward to a bright future in the Premier League—provided they make the necessary adjustments to their squad.
Worse than Meslier: Leeds must bin “anonymous” flop who was saved by Piroe & Tanaka
