Leeds United have been an inconsistent team in the English Premier League this season. The players are misfiring, and that has led to a lot of trouble. They currently sit 19th in the league table and are fighting for survival in the top division. Leeds United were missing a regular goal-scorer in the team lately, and that led to these struggles. However, the team got a major boost when their top goal scorer, Rodrigo Moreno, returned to action after a few weeks out with an injury. The 32-year-old is enjoying his best season in a Leeds United shirt, and now he has to stay at the top of his game to ensure his team’s survival. We now look at some of the stats of the striker that show how he can be the key player towards Leeds United’s survival.
Rodrigo Moreno has made 19 appearances for Leeds United in the English Premier League. He returned from injury in the previous match. The Spanish striker has netted ten goals and has one assist to his name. The above viz shows the percentile rank of Rodrigo in comparison to other centre-forwards in the league. Rodrigo has a high percentile rank for attempting shots and taking touches inside the opposition penalty box. He is also ranked decently in the possession department. Overall, the 32-year-old has enjoyed a bright spell upfront.
Consistency in the attack
Rodrigo Moreno has found the back of the net ten times. He played as the lone number nine for his side. Moreno has attempted 49 shots this season and has an average of 3.09 shots per 90 minutes. He has a decent accuracy rate of 40.8%. The xG map of the player shows that Moreno has found space inside and on the edge of the opposition’s six-yard box. He averages 4.79 touches inside the opposition’s box per 90 minutes. The touch map of the player shows that Rodrigo has covered a lot of ground in the final third and has taken touches on both wings.
Crysencio Summerville has scored the second-highest number of goals. He has scored four goals in 19 appearances. This shows that none of the teammates has matched the standard of Rodrigo in the current season.
The forward also has an assist after his name. He has six shot assists to his name, and three of them have found a teammate on the edge of the six-yard box. Adding to this, Rodrigo averages 2.14 passes to the opposition’s penalty box and has an accuracy rate of 41.2%. Rodrigo’s ability to cover ground in the final third creates such opportunities for the team.
Ability to penetrate the opposition box
Rodrigo Moreno has the ability to run with the ball and often penetrates the opposition’s penalty box with these runs. In the recent season, he made 20 progressive runs and most of them came on the right flank. The 32-year-old has also attempted 32 dribbles and has a 44.1% completion rate. By looking at the second viz we can observe that Rodrigo often tries to penetrate the box from the left side. He likes to deliver passes or crosses to the near post, with the aim to find a teammate in a goal-scoring position.
Betting analysis
Rodrigo Moreno’s return to the team will lower the odds rate for Leeds United. He is a match-winner and is capable of turning around a match. As per the over/under lines, the over lines are expected to thrive.
Rodrigo Moreno started the season with four goals and an assist in the first three games. He then failed to make any goal contribution in the next six games. In the next eight games, he scored six goals. Now Leeds United need their striker to repeat that early-season form if they want to ensure safety in the English Premier League.
Visuals via TFA data viz engine
