Aston Villa might be pleased that Leeds United’s £2m investment is not working out.
By virtue of the fact that Marcus Antonsson has scored one goal and missed three big chances in 512 minutes of Championship football, you could argue that the Leeds United striker has not set the division alight since his summer move from Kalmar.
Although it is early in his Leeds career, it is growing increasingly difficult to see what manager Garry Monk paid £2 million (figures according to The YEP) for.
The 25-year-old, Monk’s first signing as Whites boss, arrived as the leading goalscorer in Sweden’s top flight, but he has struggled to show the same red-hot form in England – and it’s not really through a lack of chances.
Antonsson started five of Leeds’ first six Championship games, scoring once. Only when Monk dropped him in favour of a 4-2-3-1 system did United’s form improve.
Indeed, he is certainly experiencing a tough first few months at the Yorkshire club, and times like these must make Aston Villa quite pleased that they did not win the race for his signature.
According to The Yorkshire Evening Post, Aston Villa, as well as Cardiff City, were in contention to sign him before Leeds secured his services, and those in the West Midlands might be breathing a sigh of relief that they lost the race.
With that being said, it is still very early to judge Antonsson, and Villa’s hierarchy might soon kick themselves that Antonsson got away, but you have to wonder if he will get chances to prove his doubters wrong.
Chris Wood is comfortably Leeds’ first-choice striker, the spearhead of a very effective system, and Monk is unlikely to deviate from the tried-and-tested formula which has transformed his team’s season over the past month or so.
He will, however, continue to make cameo appearances off the bench, but the statistics do not suggest he is ruthless enough to make the most of them and give Monk food for thought.
| Position | Team | Total Scoring Att | Duel Lost | Big Chance Missed | Goals | Mins Played | Appearances | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marcus Antonsson | FW | Leeds | 15 | 34 | 3 | 1 | 512 | 9 |
Leeds United’s Marcus Antonsson scores their first goal
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