This afternoon, Leeds United will host Wayne Rooney and Plymouth Argyle at Elland Road in an attempt to get back to winning ways and prolong their winning streak.
When Leeds plays Plymouth Argyle this weekend, they will be trying to move into the top two and begin to reduce Sunderland’s five-point lead at the top of the table.
After barely surviving the previous season, the Pilgrims face a relegation battle once more under Wayne Rooney’s leadership.
Despite having one of the best teams in the division, Leeds has not yet earned promotion, which has caused division about Daniel Farke’s tenure there.
But with 90 points from the previous campaign, Leeds, who are excellent at both ends of the field, appear headed for another drive for promotion.
According to FBref and Fotmob, the Whites’ underlying analytics indicate that they are the team to beat in the Championship this year:
Ranking of the Stat Figure League
xG 20.0 2nd
xG gave up 7.8 first.
Difference in xG +12.2 2nd
Targeted shots faced 24 first
18.6 yards is the average shot distance faced first.
enters the penalty area in accordance with 90 10.1 2nd
With their fundamental statistics, Rooney’s Pilgrims, on the other hand, are at the other extreme of the Championship spectrum.
Argyle appears to be far less resilient when compared to the same statistics that Leeds is mostly leading in above:
StatFigure League position xG 10.2 24th xG difference -12.2 24th xG conceded 24.4 24th xG
Targeted shots faced 72nd
The average distance shot was 15.4 yards.24th
enters the penalty area as per 90 5.58 on the 19th
There appears to be a clear favorite today given the stark differences between the two teams’ underlying statistics, standing in the table, and overall performances.
However, Rooney and Plymouth may be motivated by intangibles, such as his desire to defeat Leeds and his status as a Manchester United icon.
Plymouth’s incredible comeback from a 3-0 deficit against Preston at home last month, which continued into extra time, was another encouraging development.
However, the previous time Leeds played a team led by Rooney, it was his final performance as Birmingham City’s manager, when his team put up almost little opposition on New Year’s Day, leading to his dismissal.