Leeds United fought hard to come back from two goals down at Manchester City, but ultimately slipped to a 3-2 defeat.
While Leeds showed grit and determination to bounce back from adversity, winger Wilfried Gnonto’s performance left a lot to be desired.
The 22-year-old replaced Noah Okafor in the starting XI, but endured a frustrating afternoon.
While he did his best to help Daniel Farke’s side defensively, his attacking output was lacking.
He could not muster a shot and didn’t complete a dribble. He also lost possession eight times.
The Yorkshire Evening Post gave him a 4/10 rating and blamed him for not doing enough defensively for the opening goal.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Jaka Bijol replaced Gnonto and Daniel James at half-time. Farke changed to a 3-5-2 formation, and Leeds improved until City’s quality prevailed.
With Calvert-Lewin offering a focal point and the extra defender tightening Leeds’ rearguard, Farke had a structure that looked more robust.
They surprised City tactically and were far better at absorbing pressure. It’s no surprise the manager stuck with it for the remainder of the match, and the improvement was noticeable.
But while the system suited the team, it may spell trouble for Gnonto.
The set-up leaves no natural role for an out-and-out winger, but Farke may be tempted to double down on the shape in the future.
If the German tactician believes this is the blueprint to drag Leeds out of trouble, Gnonto could be squeezed out of the starting picture.
For a player already battling for consistency, the timing could not be worse.
