Leeds United U21s continued their unbeaten begin to the season in opposition to Tranmere Rovers on Tuesday night, with Michael Skubala’s aspect working out 5-3 winners in an enthralling Soccer League Trophy encounter beneath the Prenton Park lights.
Sitting prime of the Premier League 2 Division 2 desk after successful 5 and drawing certainly one of their opening six fixtures of the 2022/23 marketing campaign – scoring 24 targets and conceding eight – the U21s had been in wonderful type heading into the mid-week assembly.
And, regardless of falling behind to 2 Tranmere targets within the opening 20 minutes, a Sonny Perkins strike and a Joe Gelhardt brace turned the fixture on its head, though the hosts did stage the scores within the dying levels of the primary half.
Nonetheless, an early second-half strike from Mateo Joseph and a high quality end from Cody Drameh noticed the guests take a deserved two-goal lead of their very own, with the Whites hanging on for all three factors regardless of Sam Greenwood’s 69th-minute sending-off.
And, whereas the distinctive efficiency of Gelhardt will probably be one of many greater speaking factors amongst the Elland Street devoted on Wednesday, there was undoubtedly one other participant who ought to be credited with a key position within the win – Darko Gyabi.
Certainly, having solely joined Leeds from Manchester Metropolis in a £5m deal this summer season, the 18-year-old midfielder has already turned in quite a lot of spectacular shows for the membership’s U21 aspect – with a first-team call-up now showing only a matter of time.
And, the £2.7m-rated expertise’s efficiency in opposition to Tranmere can have executed his first-team possibilities no injury in any respect, with the England U19 worldwide – who Neil Harris dubbed an “distinctive” expertise – placing in a show-running show within the coronary heart of Skubala’s midfield.
Certainly, over his 90 minutes on the pitch, the £3.4k-per-week teenager was a steady artistic pressure for Leeds, having fun with 57 touches of the ball, finishing 78% of his tried passes, discovering his man with 4 of his 5 tried lengthy balls and enjoying two key passes.
The 18-year-old additionally performed a pivotal position in two of the Whites’ targets, successful possession again from a Tranmere throw earlier than sliding Gelhardt in with a pin-point by way of ball for Leeds’ equaliser, in addition to enjoying Drameh in for his aspect’s fifth of the evening.
Moreover, the previous Metropolis starlet was additionally exceptionally robust in a defensive capability, successful 10 of his 13 duels – successful price of 77% – making 4 tackles, finishing three clearances and drawing 4 fouls for his aspect – with a few of these returns coming after the midfielder dropped into centre-back after Greenwood’s crimson card.
These metrics noticed Gyabi earn an especially spectacular SofaScore match score of 7.3, whereas the Yorkshire Night Submit’s Joe Donnohue additionally awarded the playmaker an eight in his personal participant scores, with the journalist stating of {the teenager}’s show: “Superb tonight. Tidy on the ball, particularly enjoying forwards. Did a job at centre-back too.”
As such, whereas the targets of Gelhardt, Perkins, Joseph and Drameh had been important in sealing all three factors in opposition to Tranmere, it was the show of Gyabi in the course of the park that was arguably essentially the most spectacular on Tuesday night – with the Whites very a lot seeking to have a rare expertise on their arms within the form of the 18-year-old midfielder.