Ex-Leeds striker Marcus Antonsson scores for fifth game running

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Marcus Antonsson is starting to show the kind of form that convinced Leeds United to sign him in the first place.

With Patrick Bamford struggling to get off the bench during the opening stages of his Leeds career, it is probably fair to suggest that the Elland Road faithful will not lose too much sleep over the club’s decision to let Marcus Antonsson go in the summer regardless of how well the Swede is performing for his new club.

Kemar Roofe has been brilliant during the first few weeks of the Championship season, and Bamford has threatened to make a contribution when Marcelo Bielsa has handed him a chance.

But, while Leeds may not exactly miss Antonsson too much right now, it cannot be disputed that the striker is starting to do an excellent job of rebuilding his career following his recent move to Malmo.

After a slow start, the 27-year-old is now showing the kind of form that prompted Leeds to bring him to England in 2016. Antonsson has scored in his last five games, including goals in both legs of their Europa League play-off tie with Midtjylland that saw Malmo book their place in the group-stages of the competition.

It is a remarkable run of form for a forward who looked incredibly short of confidence for much of his spell at Leeds, as well as during the latter stages of his loan at Blackburn. And while he often did not help his own cause when he was given a chance, perhaps the form just hints that he may have deserved more of an opportunity while he was at Elland Road.

Some will point out that the standard in Sweden is lower than it is in the Championship, but it must not be overlooked that Antonsson’s run has helped his side into the group-stages of the second-most prestigious club competition in Europe.

Five goals in five games should still not be enough to leave Leeds feeling that they made a mistake selling the forward, but if his brilliant run continues following the international break, perhaps it may be fair to question whether Leeds may have been a little hasty letting him go permanently, especially when you consider what Bielsa has done for some of the previously-written-off members of the squad.