Leeds moved back into the play-off places with a narrow victory over the Millers.
Leeds United moved themselves back into the Championship play-off places after a narrow win over Rotherham United on Saturday.
But while the Millers were certainly on top during the final minutes at the New York Stadium leaving the Whites to hold on, Garry Monk’s men were arguably in control for large portions of the game.
Leeds United’s Souleymane Doukara scoring their second goal
Although several of Leeds’ players shone at times, it was arguably the performance of Charlie Taylor that deserves the most praise following the victory, as the statistics suggest.
| Assists | Accurate passes | Touches | Tackles won | Total clearances | Duels won | Interceptions won | Successful dribbles | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlie Taylor | 1 | 48 | 87 | 2 | 4 | 10 | 1 | 4 |
While Taylor ranks below many of his teammates when it comes to accurate passes, he was often looking to make something happen when he got onto the ball, rather than pass it back across to either one of the centre-backs or to the holding midfielders.
Only Liam Cooper – who enjoyed an excellent return to the side having replaced Pontus Jansson – won more challenges, and only his centre-back partner Kyle Bartley made more clearances than the four that Taylor managed.
Rotherham United’s Will Vaulks in action with Leeds United’s Charlie Taylor
Taylor topped the charts when it came to winning duels, as both he and Cooper won 10 throughout the game. But it was going forward that he made the greatest impact.
The 23-year-old made four successful dribbles, which was double the number of his nearest rival in that department Hadi Sacko. And crucially, it was his run in the 14th minute that allowed Chris Wood to bag the opener for the away side.
Wood, Taylor and Kemar Roofe celebrate Leeds’ opener
His composure to roll the ball back to the New Zealander rather than drill a cross across the six-yard box arguably highlights just how much quality he possesses and how important he remains to Leeds’ fortunes, despite looking somewhat out of form during the early stages of the campaign.
And based on his performance on Saturday, if Leeds can get through the January window with Taylor still amongst their squad, they will surely stand a much greater chance of maintaining their current position in the play-off spots.
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