Ao Tanaka Impresses Pundit with Key Trait in Leeds United’s Win Over Sheffield United

After a scoreless first half, Leeds raised their game in the second half. Pascal Struijk broke the deadlock in the 69th minute, and Mateo Joseph added another in the 90th, securing a 2-0 win and all three points.

Leeds United’s midfielders, Ao Tanaka and Joe Rothwell, stood out in the victory over Sheffield United. Leigh Bromby shared his thoughts on their performances, praising their roles. “Tanaka is the tidy one, dropping back into defense,” Bromby said. “Rothwell is tasked with making things happen. Both were excellent tonight.”

Tanaka earned special praise for his performance, complementing Rothwell’s forward play.

Tony Dorigo, during LUTV’s coverage, highlighted Tanaka’s contribution: “Excellent play. Tanaka shows his physicality, can pass, and is one of the calmest players on the ball.”

Jonny Cooper from Opta emphasized Tanaka’s smooth transition to the team, noting that in his first three starts for Leeds, he completed 175 passes—the highest total for any Leeds player in their first three league matches since the 2013-14 season.

Leeds manager Daniel Farke also spoke highly of Tanaka and Rothwell, who had to adapt their playing styles due to injuries to Ethan Ampadu and Ilia Gruev.

Farke praised their adaptability and performance.

“Their best performance as a duo,” Farke commented in his press conference.

“We needed this against a tough opponent. Rothwell, who hasn’t played 90 minutes regularly in two years, did particularly well considering he’s a more attacking player.”