Leeds United were distracted from their Championship exploits during the week as they faced Chelsea in the fifth round of the FA Cup at Stamford Bridge.
The Whites took the lead through Mateo Joseph's early goal but first-half strikes from Nicolas Jackson and Mykhaylo Mudryk put the hosts in front at the break.
Joseph then scored his second of the night to make it 2-2 with a header at the back post, only for Conor Gallagher to score a late winner for the Blues to secure their progression through to the quarter-finals.
Daniel Farke's side now turn their attention back to the Championship as his team travel across Yorkshire to take on Huddersfield Town this afternoon.
The German head coach could make some changes from the XI that started the game against Chelsea. One player, in particular, who must be unleashed is Georginio Rutter, who must replace Joel Piroe in the line-up after a poor display from the Dutchman that should see him ruthlessly ditched.
Joel Piroe's statistics against Chelsea
The former Swansea star was selected to play with Joseph in the attack at Stamford Bridge but was completely outshined by the U21s dynamo.
FFC picked him out as being even worse than Junior Firpo, who stepped out and completely missed the ball and player for Gallagher's winning goal, due to his disappointing contributions in and out of possession throughout the match.
Piroe played 79 minutes on the night without making a significant impact on the game as he struggled at the top end of the pitch and off the ball.
The 24-year-old whiz lost six of his nine duels on the night, including five of his eight on the ground and his one in the air, which shows that Chelsea's players found it far too easy to get the better of him in physical battles.
Unfortunately, the Dutch finisher did not make up for his lightweight play out of possession with quality on the ball. He did not muster a shot on target or a 'big chance' created for his teammates in his 79 minutes on the field.
Both of his attempted shots were blocked by the opposition before they could reach Robert Sanchez's goal, and he made one key pass for the side.
These statistics illustrate the lack of threat he provided in the final third as Piroe failed to showcase his attacking quality against Premier League quality, which may be a concern ahead of a possible promotion to the top-flight next season.
Leeds splashed out a fee of more than £10m to sign the striker from Championship rivals Swansea last summer, after he scored 19 goals in 43 matches in the second tier for the Welsh outfit during the 2022/23 campaign.
Joel Piroe's Championship statistics this season
The left-footed marksman has enjoyed a solid, if unspectacular, season with the Whites so far this term as he has not been entirely convincing with his performances at the top end of the pitch.
Piroe was brought in to score goals, given his record at Swansea last season, and only Crysencio Summerville (15) has scored more Championship goals than the Dutch gem (11) for Leeds so far this year.
In that sense, you could argue that he has been a success as the 24-year-old forward has provided the team with a decent amount of goals.
However, his 11 goals have come from an Expected Goals of 11.69 and he has missed seven 'big chances' in total. This shows that the Leeds attacker has slightly underperformed in front of goal with wasteful finishing at times.
Piroe has also left a lot to be desired when it comes to creativity. The Dutchman has made 0.8 key passes per game, created two 'big chances', and registered two assists in 33 league outings in the Championship this season.
His lack of physicality has also caused him issues at times as opposition players have beat him in 62% of their duels, which shows that the 6 foot 1 gem has been a lightweight on the pitch for his team.
The statistics that show why Rutter should start over Piroe
Farke must now unleash Rutter from the start in the attacking midfield position after the manager confirmed that the French ace is back in training, after missing out against Chelsea through injury.
The 21-year-old magician, who was once hailed for his "blistering" speed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has been in phenomenal form in the Championship this season and could create the chances Joseph needs to find his first league goals, after a brace on Wednesday night in the FA Cup.
Leeds' 20-year-old striker showcased his finishing quality with a composed right-footed effort past Sanchez for his first and a well-placed header at the back post for his second.
Appearances
33
Key passes per game
2.2
Big chances created
20
Expected Assists
9.23
Assists
11
Rutter, as you can see in the table above, has been a constant creative threat for the Yorkshire-based side with his ability to consistently unlock opposition defences.
Only Leif Davis and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (12) have registered more Championship assists than the ex-Hoffenheim gem, whilst only Abdul Fatawu (24) has created more 'big chances' than him.
These statistics show that not many players in the division are better creators than Rutter, who could be perfect to play in the number ten role behind Joseph.
However, the French star's finishing does need work. He has been wasteful in front of goal, like Piroe, with a return of six goals scored from an xG of 10.24 in the Championship.
Overall, though, Rutter has been directly involved in 17 goals compared to the Dutch striker's 13 in the league, which suggests that he has made a greater impact on the season for Leeds so far.
The £34k-per-week whiz also heads into today's match in form as he has produced two goals and three assists in his last five matches in all competitions, whereas Piroe is coming off the back of a disappointing display against Chelsea.
This Leeds star has transformed from “non-entity” to "monster"
This Leeds United star was first viewed as a flop before eventually going on to show his class.
ByKelan SarsonFeb 19, 2024
Taking all of these statistics into account, Farke must unleash Rutter from the start – and ruthlessly ditch the Dutch forward – as the attacking midfielder behind Joseph due to the immense creative quality that could be used to put the Terriers to the sword in Yorkshire this afternoon.