Wilfried Gnonto details Leeds United tactical tweak that led to season first during win vs Millwall — YEP 19/3/24

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Leeds United climbed to the top of the Championship on Sunday but there was another first at Elland Road.

By Kyle Newbould

Wilfried Gnonto relished the wild celebrations on Sunday after scoring his first goal at Elland Road this season during Sunday's 2-0 win against Millwall.

Gnonto broke the deadlock 33 minutes into a tense and scrappy affair in West Yorkshire, carrying the ball to the edge of Millwall's box before arrowing a brilliant effort beyond the grasp of Matija Šarkić. It was a perfect response from the 20-year-old who was bizarrely booked shortly before and was on the receiving end of some physical treatment from the visitors.

A run of six goals in 10 appearances went some way to Gnonto getting back in the good books among Leeds supporters, following his attempts to leave in the summer, but every effort so far had been away from home and so the Italian was starved of feeling that forgiveness among the home crowd. Sunday's effort was his eighth of the campaign and undoubtedly the one that felt the best.

“I think it was a long ball, we had a duel so I was trying to think where the ball could go,” Gnonto told the club’s in-house media team. “As soon as the ball went to Georgi [Rutter], I knew he was going to pass to me. The ball was a bit behind me but I just cut inside, shot and it was a good goal. I'm really happy.

“We knew that we were going to play long balls, so I think the position of our wingers was a bit different because we tried to speculate on the second ball. As soon as we won it I was thinking where the ball could go. I was lucky to score. I really missed this feeling. I scored a couple of goals this season but all away so I was really looking forward to scoring at home.”

Gnonto has been one of several Leeds players to come to the fore since the turn of the year after finishing 2023 on the fringes of the starting line-up. Dan James made the right-wing spot his own but injury opened the door and the pair have enjoyed healthy competition since.

It was James who came off the bench to score Leeds' second on Sunday, expressing his new-found composure with a long wait before squeezing the ball through Millwall defenders after Rutter found space on the byline. That second goal saw Leeds go top of the Championship and they will stay there for the best part of a fortnight due to the March international break.

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