Leeds United’s unbelievable December continued against Crystal Palace as Daniel Farke’s side ran out resounding 4-1 winners over the pitiful Eagles.
This latest Premier League win at Elland Road means the Whites are sitting comfortably above the bottom three places, with a six-point gap now forming between themselves and Nuno Espirito Santo’s West Ham United, stuck in 18th spot. Safe to say, Christmas came early with that emphatic win over Oliver Glasner’s team.
Several Leeds players have stood out as leaders in recent wins, whether it be Anton Stach lighting up the pitch with some memorable goals or Jaka Bijol putting his early West Yorkshire nerves behind him with some dominant defensive performances.
One standout figure in Farke’s camp could even be seen as the German’s very own David Batty, with the no-nonsense midfielder a clear fan’s favourite during his two spells at the club, when the Whites were at their Premier League peak.
Batty's leadership presence at Leeds
The highlight reel above gives you just a flavour as to how passionate Batty was when he pulled on Leeds white, with the constant tackles and energy on display, resulting in one of his former Elland Road teammates, Tony Dorigo, hailing him as a presence he would want alongside him in the “trenches”.
As a result of always giving his all, the two-time top-flight title winner would go on to amass 289 appearances for the top-flight regulars, with four goals and 11 assists also coming his way, per Transfermarkt, which even saw him pick up an assist for the Whites in the Champions League versus Anderlecht.
Further noted as being a “top player” to line up alongside by another of his former Leeds teammates, Robbie Keane, Batty would consistently be the glue from the middle of the park that would allow Leeds to tick.
It could be argued, even though he solely lines up as a centre-forward, that Dominic Calvert-Lewin is sticking out as a similarly talismanic figure for Farke’s men, with a red-hot seven Premier League strikes now next to his name for the season, after bagging a quickfire brace against Glasner’s visitors.
But, there is an even better candidate than the ex-Everton striker who can rival Batty’s bravery and determination for the West Yorkshire giants, as he becomes more and more of an undroppable part of Farke’s success story, the more the season chugs along.
The indispensable star who is Farke's own Batty
Leeds would win Batty back for just £4.4m in 1998 as he embarked on his second stint at Elland Road, which is money that was very well spent, looking back.
For only £7m in the summer of 2022, the Whites managed to win an equally lively and combative midfielder in the form of Ethan Ampadu, with the Welshman now arguably synonymous with Leeds for being a forceful “destroyer”, as dubbed by journalist Graham Smyth, after failing to ignite at previous employers Chelsea.
Ampadu’s PL numbers this season
Stat – per 90 mins*
Ampadu
Games played
15
Minutes played
1323 mins
Goals scored
1
Assists
0
Touches*
68.0
Accurate passes*
43.8 (87%)
Ball recoveries*
5.3
Total duels won*
4.5
Stats by Sofascore
That was already clear for all to see when Ampadu averaged a brave 5.1 duels won last season as promotion was achieved, but his vital status in Farke’s first team ranks has only been strengthened in the division above, with the dependable Leeds captain only missing two league games so far this season, after being troubled by injuries in the Championship.
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He has become even more “indispensable” to how the Premier League newcomers attempt to control proceedings; therefore, as talent scout Jacek Kulig once labelled him, with an 87% pass accuracy, showing off a calm performer centrally, much like Batty was with the ball at his feet.
But, it’s also his 5.3 ball recoveries averaged this season that further backs up the notion of him being a full-blooded star ready to roll his sleeves up for the cause, like the Leeds-born battler before him, with Ampadu also now off the mark in the Premier League when instinctively smashing his effort home against Palace.
Ampadu’s aim, now, will surely be to strive to have a long-lasting career at the very top like Batty managed to sustain, with it clear that he is already very much in the Elland Road good books, like the former number 23.
He’ll only strengthen his label of being a fan favourite if he continues to stand out with more memorable wins to come, as Leeds pray they can push up the table even more, nearly 22 years on from Batty’s final ever appearance for his beloved team.
56 touches, 5 key passes: 8/10 Leeds star was better than Calvert-Lewin
This Leeds United star was even better than Dominic Calvert-Lewin against Crystal Palace as Daniel Farke’s men romped home to a huge 4-1 win.
ByKelan Sarson