Pablo Hernandez steps out of Samu Saiz’s shadow as Leeds United batter Burton Albion

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Leeds United cruised to their biggest win under Thomas Christiansen thanks to an influential display by Pablo Hernandez.

If Leeds United fans had a good feeling about this season, the optimism will have been ramped up a notch as Thomas Christiansen’s high-flying side put Burton Albion to the sword on Saturday.

Hamburg loanee Pierre-Michel Lasogga dominated the post-match talk thanks to a clinical double on debut but the performance of one Pablo Hernandez deserved just as much praise.

The Spanish schemer was back to his best as Leeds put five past Burton without reply, converting a penalty on the stroke of half time to open his account for the new season.

And although Hernandez has started each of Leeds’ six Championship games so far, the performance felt like a reminder of his talents. After all, the former Valencia play-maker has been overshadowed in the opening weeks of the campaign by new signings Samu Saiz and Ezgjan Alioski.

Saiz, a summer signing from Spanish second tier side Huesca, already looks like a cut above in the Championship, adding to an EFL Cup hat-trick against Port Vale with a string of influential displays.

And exciting Macedonian international Alioski has fans constantly perched on the edge of their seat thanks to his penchant for producing the unexpected – his long-range drive in the recent 2-0 win at Nottingham Forest a fine example.

Back to his best

As such, Hernandez hasn’t dominated the headlines in the opening weeks of the new season quite as much as he did throughout 2016/17. In fact, the 32-year-old was by far Leeds’ most influential creative force, producing comfortably more assists than any of his teammates.

In fact, when the fatigue set in late in the campaign, Hernandez’s drop in form coincided with a run of one win in eight that cost Leeds a place in the play-offs.

Thankfully, Hernandez should have help in the final third this time around but his superb display against Burton should remind Saiz and Alioski that he is still the creative king pin at Elland Road.