Graham Smyth: Leeds United 'spark plug' must be unleashed after stark 1,200-minute contrast — YEP 31/3/25

By Graham Smyth

Leeds United boss Daniel Farke has said enough and seen enough to suggest the time is right to unleash his 'spark plug' at Luton Town.

Had it not been for an ankle injury picked up in the international break, Willy Gnonto would have been in with a serious chance of breaking Brenden Aaronson's streak of 37 consecutive starts. The American has been a mainstay for Farke in the number 10 position all season long despite external calls for Gnonto and others to be given more of a chance to prove themselves as alternative options in that position. The last two seasons have shown that Farke needs to see certain things from players before he'll make changes and in some cases - like Georginio Rutter moving from 9 to 10 - it can take months before the manager is convinced. In other cases the German appears happier to go with the 'hot hand' and a player who has maybe built up a lot of momentum in a short space of time.

Whether it's that Gnonto had finally started to adapt to Farke's requirements for the number 10 role in training at Thorp Arch or simply did enough in a lively 45-minute performance after replacing Aaronson at the break in the 2-2 draw with Queens Park Rangers, or even that Aaronson's form had faltered long enough that the manager felt forced into a change, it seems change would have come for the Swansea City game.

What Farke has said

"If you would have asked me 10 days ago [how close Gnonto was to starting against the Swans] very close, because obviously he gave a good advertisement in the last away game and I like a lot what he delivered," said Farke. But Gnonto turned his ankle as he tracked back to make a 40th-minute challenge for Italy Under 21s against their Netherlands counterparts and duly limped back to Thorp Arch to begin treatment for the issue. It was serious enough that Farke had no option to start the 21-year-old, so went with Aaronson at 10 again. As it turns out, both men hit the net in the 2-2 draw with the Swans, Aaronson in the first minute and Gnonto about 60 seconds after making his entrance as a replacement for Dan James. Farke explained after the game that even a 10-minute appearance was a risk for Gnonto.

"He had this injury, and obviously also a serious injury, so for that there was no chance to start," said the Leeds boss. "It was even a bit risky to bring him on the pitch for 20 minutes. If we would have stayed in the lead I wouldn't have brought him on the pitch at all, but we got the feeling okay it's a draw come on for 10,15, minutes, we can risk it right now. We have a bit more time to let the injury settle and let the healing settle, and then he's hopefully in a much better situation for the next, upcoming important week with three games. But today, it was a tight game. I was quite happy that he said 'I feel it a bit in the movements, but with painkillers and tape, I would be able to help the team if needed for a short cameo', and yes, it was the right decision to bring him on the pitch."

1,200-minute contrast

End product has been one of the criticisms of Aaronson since the turn of the year, with just a single goal and no assists to his name in 2025 prior to the visit of the Swans. But even that first-minute goal might not be enough to keep his place in the side because other than a chance he created for Joel Piroe, the rest of the game was another struggle for the American. Gnonto, however, can say that his turn and incisive pass in the QPR game sparked the chance that led to Leeds' equaliser and his goal against Swansea took him to 11 goal contributions [six goals, five assists] for the season - level with Aaronson [nine goals, two assists.] But the crucial thing to note is that Gnonto has reached that tally in 1,805 minutes of Championship football. Aaronson has had 3,050. Every 164 minutes Gnonto comes up with a goal or an assist. Aaronson does so once every 277 minutes.

What's more, Gnonto has created nine 'big chances' according to Sofascore, compared with Aaronson's seven. Simply put, Gnonto is a spark plug. He makes things happen and ignites attacks. And for a Leeds team going through a little bit of a wobble at the worst possible time, goals will be absolutely crucial. Any source of confidence, even just a player going through a good individual moment, is to be welcomed because that can be contagious.

There is of course the option to play Gnonto out wide and with Manor Solomon going through a seven-game dry spell without any end product, perhaps Farke will consider that the change he needs to make for Luton Town. On the opposite flank, Daniel James has also gone seven without a goal but does at least have three assists during that spell and against Swansea looked Leeds' best bet for making something good happen, until Gnonto took his place. But in Solomon and James Farke has players who have proved themselves too good for Championship defences on enough occasions that taking them out now, in what he calls the 'crunch time period,' would be a massive call. When the stakes are highest you want your best players on the pitch and Solomon and James are right up there for the Whites. So too, you would have to say, is Gnonto.

Final puzzle piece

Farke has given sufficient glimpses into his thinking that we know one of things holding him back from unleashing Gnonto at 10 is the distance Aaronson covers and the defensive work he contributes. The manager did not like the idea of putting Gnonto in at QPR with a central midfield made up of two 8s in Joe Rothwell and Ao Tanaka. Ethan Ampadu's return, albeit in a rusty display on Saturday, could be the final piece of the puzzle that reassures Farke he is finally free to free Gnonto because the captain is Leeds' best defensive midfielder. With another week of training under his belt and the first game out of the way, you would expect him to move closer to his own high standards next weekend at Kenilworth Road. The same could be said of Gnonto and the ankle he has been nursing for almost two weeks. Maybe the stars are aligning. Maybe Gnonto's time has at long last arrived.