After holding Steve Bruce’s Aston Villa to a 1-1 draw away from home to extend their unbeaten run in the Sky Bet Championship to five matches, Leeds United (5th) open the New Year with a home fixture against managerless Rotherham United (24th) tomorrow.
On Thursday, Leeds United could count themselves as being highly unfortuitous in only accruing a solitary point from their televised clash with Aston Villa. Pontus Jansson’s second goal for the club gave the Whites an early second-half lead, but Jonathan Kodjia, featuring in his final match before departing to compete in the African Cup of Nations, converted a late penalty with aplomb to ensure Villa’s unbeaten home record remained intact. Despite the marginal disappointment of a draw, having been in the euphoric winning position right up until the dying embers of the match, the point ensured that United retained their play-off place ahead of their first match of the New Year.
Tomorrow’s opponents Rotherham meanwhile, sit bottom of the pile in the Sky Bet Championship table, with a measly 13 points to their credit from 24 matches. The Millers’ midweek defeat to Burton Albion at the New York Stadium in a climacteric relegation six-pointer means that they now trail Cardiff City (21st) by 11 points. Relegation appears to be a certainty, but while there remains even the faintest chance of hauling themselves out of the mire, Rotherham will likely fight until the bitter end.
Team News
Leeds United
Cultured midfielder Eunan O’Kane remains sidelined with injury, along with young right-back Lewie Coyle.
Left-back Charlie Taylor, who has been incessantly linked with a move away from Elland Road, is a doubt.
Talismanic striker Chris Wood, and Spanish playmaker Pablo Hernandez, are both in contention for starts after coming on as substitutes against Aston Villa on Thursday.
Central defender Kyle Bartley will doubtless be recalled after he missed the match against Villa with a knee injury.
Rotherham United
Goalkeeper Lee Camp and forward Jonson Clarke-Harris are both definite absentees.
Interim manager Paul Warne however, has made an admission that will be startling to fans of the Millers; Camp is said to be interesting divisional rivals, though he wouldn’t specifically say whom.
Defender Kevin Wilson is a doubt and will be assessed prior to kick-off.
Probable Lineups
Leeds United (4-2-3-1) - Green; Ayling, Jansson, Bartley, Berardi; Phillips, Bridcutt; Sacko, Roofe, Doukara; Wood.
Rotherham United (4-4-2) - Price; Fisher, Wood, Belaid, Mattock; Forde, Adeyemi, Frecklington, Newell; Ward, Brown.
Team Facts
Leeds United
Top Goalscorers: Chris Wood (14), Souleymane Doukara (4), Pablo Hernandez (3).
Most Assists: Kemar Roofe (4), Hadi Sacko (3), Pablo Hernandez (2).
Highest Statistical Average Rating: Pontus Jansson (7.68).
Record in 2016-17 (League) - W - 13, D - 3, L - 8.
Rotherham United
Top Goalscorers: Danny Ward (9), Izzy Brown (3), Jon Taylor (3).
Most Assists: Izzy Brown (5), Greg Halford (2), Danny Ward (2).
Highest Statistical Average Rating: Izzy Brown (6.99).
Record in 2016-17 (League) - W - 3, D - 4, L - 17.
Previous Meetings
Away - Rotherham 1-2 Leeds United - November 2016
When the two sides clashed in late November, it were Leeds who emerged as conquistadors on the day, with goals from Chris Wood and Souleymane Doukara proving to be just enough for the Whites, with Richard Wood netting a late consolatory header for Rotherham.
At Elland Road - Leeds United 2-0 Rotherham - January 2016
A scorching howitzer of a strike from Mustapha Carayol, then making his Leeds United debut, coupled with a late, trouble-free tap-in from Souleymane Doukara, saw the Whites emerge victorious over the Millers in an FA Cup tie last season.
Match Facts
Leeds will be keen to continue their almost imperious home form - of the last nine sides to visit Elland Road, only Newcastle have been victorious.
Rotherham have lost 70.8% of their league games this season, more than any other side in the division.
Leeds have won, and kept a clean sheet in each one of their last three home matches.
Star Men
Leeds United: Chris Wood, Forward (6.89 Average Statistical Rating)
The 25 year-old forward, who hails from New Zealand, has enjoyed a prolific campaign in front of goal for Leeds United in 2016-17. In all competitions this season, the former Leicester man has rattled home no less than 14 goals, already surpassing last season’s tally of 13 in the process. The striker’s dogged hold-up play and ice-cool clinical finishing make him a threat to any side in the division, and at present, there is not a more convenient opposition for him to face than Rotherham, whose porous defence has ceded a frightening 52 goals in just 24 matches.
Fact: Wood has scored 35.48% of his side’s Championship goals this season.
Rotherham United: Izzy Brown, Forward (6.99 Average Statistical Rating)
The Chelsea loanee, who spent last season with Dutch side Vitesse, has racked up the most assists for the Millers this season. At 19, Brown is one of the most youthful players in the Rotherham squad, but despite his tender years, his deft, direct running coupled with his electric pace have seen him become a first-team regular at the New York Stadium this season. He is one of the scant few chinks of light for Rotherham supporters and if anybody contracted to the floundering South Yorkshire club is going to pose a threat to Leeds tomorrow, it’ll be Brown.
Fact: Brown made 22 appearances for Vitesse in the Dutch Eredivisie last season, scoring once.
Writer's View
After a respectable showing away to Aston Villa on Thursday, we do battle with lowly Rotherham at Elland Road looking to secure a fourth successive home league victory and a first win of the New Year.
Throughout last season, we experienced far too much difficulty when tasked with putting relegation threatened sides to the sword, with Bolton, Charlton and Milton Keynes Dons, all three of last term’s relegated sides, deriving points from us in 2015-16. It should be noted that we’ve fared far better in that respect this season, as we’ve already seen off tomorrow’s opponents, along with Burton Albion, Cardiff City, and Blackburn Rovers, though we did drop points at home to Wigan in October. To be concise, the point is this; that games such as tomorrow’s are precisely the sort of games that a side gunning for the Premier League should win comprehensively. I back us to do just that.
Rotherham look utterly discombobulated whenever they take to the field, and their defeat to Burton on Thursday night only served to compound the misery upon their disenchanted supporters. Nigel Clough’s side had won not one single away game ahead of that match, but Rotherham, in a typically generous fashion, allowed their Staffordshire counterparts to consign that record to the annals of history.
With Rotherham’s ruinous season, and our own enthralling escapades in mind, I anticipate a facile victory for us tomorrow, and I do not say this conceitedly, or indeed condescendingly, but I’m certain that I will not be alone in holding this opinion.
Prediction: Leeds United 3-0 Rotherham United
Statistics derived from WhoScored.com