Leeds United crashed to a comprehensive defeat against Arsenal in the Premier League, and manager Daniel Farke has criticised Karl Darlow for his poor goalkeeping.
Arsenal scored their second goal of the game when Darlow put the ball into his own net from Noni Madueke’s corner.
Farke claimed after the game that his team should have defended set pieces better and that there was no need to concede an own goal in a game already difficult for the team.
Farke on Karl Darlow error
He said (h/t Leeds Press): “Wouldn’t praise (Arsenal) too much for this goal, for their set-piece routine, I think we should defend this situation better, not even one Arsenal player was close.
“Overall, I would have wished to reduce their number of set-pieces in the first half, that would have made our life easier, but in this situation, I think there’s no need to score an own goal.”
Karl Darlow did not have a great time vs Arsenal. (Photo by Molly Darlington/Getty Images)
The goalkeeping situation has been a problem for Leeds United. They signed Lucas Perri during the summer transfer window, but the Brazilian has been unconvincing. Darlow has been given an opportunity to establish himself as the first-choice goalkeeper at the club, but he has shown that he is not a Premier League-level goalkeeper.
It will be interesting to see if Leeds United can get through the season with their current options and secure Premier League safety. It will be their top priority to improve the goalkeeping department in the summer. They need to bring in someone who can dominate the box and add more stability at the back.
It remains to be seen whether Perri and Darlow can raise their performance levels for the coming weeks and help their team secure safety in the top flight. Leeds are fighting for survival, and they simply cannot afford silly mistakes from their goalkeepers.
The transfer window is now closed, so we’ve rounded up every single done deal by all 20 Premier League clubs over the last month.
It wasn’t the most memorable January transfer window, but read on for every done deal as there were some major deals done by the likes of Manchester City, Arsenal and Tottenham.
For City, it was a pretty exciting window as Pep Guardiola moved to bring in Antoine Semenyo from Bournemouth after his terrific form there in the last year and a half or so.
Meanwhile, Marc Guehi also made the move to the Etihad Stadium to fill the void left by the injured Josko Gvardiol, meaning that long-running saga came to an end a little earlier than expected, with his Crystal Palace contract only a few months away from expiring anyway.
For Arsenal, it was mostly a window of exits, as Ethan Nwaneri joined Marseille on loan, while Oleksandr Zinchenko left for a permanent move to Ajax.
Elsewhere, Conor Gallagher was a big name arrival back to the Premier League, with the former Chelsea midfielder leaving Atletico Madrid after a year and a half to join Tottenham.
Read on for our full list of done deals from this transfer window…
Arsenal
IN
None
OUT
Osman Kamara – Blackburn, undisclosed
Oleksandr Zinchenko – Ajax, undisclosed
Louie Copley – Crawley, loan
Ethan Nwaneri – Marseille, loan
Maldini Kacurri – Grimsby, loan
Aston Villa
Tammy Abraham in action for Aston Villa (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)
IN
Tammy Abraham – Besiktas, £18.2m
Alysson – Gremio, £10m
Brian Madjo – Metz, undisclosed
Leon Bailey – Roma, loan recall
Douglas Luiz – Juventus, loan
OUT
Louie Barry – Stockport, loan
Samuel Iling-Junior, Pisa, loan
Ben Broggio – Falkirk, loan
Jamaldeen Jimoh-Aloba – West Brom, loan
Evann Guessand – Crystal Palace, loan
Aidan Borland – Swindon, loan
Sil Swinkels – Chesterfield, loan
Donyell Malen – Roma, loan with £21.6m obligation to buy
Leeds United could be preparing one of the most ambitious moves of their recent history, with reports suggesting the Yorkshire club are keeping close tabs on Endrick, the highly rated young striker owned by Real Madrid.
With Leeds’ pursuit of attacking reinforcements hitting obstacles this winter, attention is already beginning to shift towards the summer transfer window.
The Whites had been keen on landing Jorgen Strand Larsen of Wolves, a player strongly admired by head coach Daniel Farke.
However, that move now looks increasingly unlikely, with Crystal Palace reportedly pricing Leeds out of a deal.
Rather than forcing a short-term solution, Leeds appear content to remain patient and that long-term thinking could open the door to a bold attempt to lure Endrick to Elland Road, according to Fichajes.
Endrick’s situation at Madrid and Lyon
Despite arriving in Madrid amid huge expectations, Endrick has found opportunities limited this season in a star-studded squad.
With minutes hard to come by, the Brazilian teenager was loaned to Olympique Lyon last month for the remainder of the campaign, a move designed to accelerate his development through regular first-team football.
Both Leeds United and Sunderland are monitoring Endrick’s progress in France closely.
The belief among scouts is that his combination of pace, movement, and technical quality could allow him to make an immediate impact in English football, while still possessing significant room for growth.
Endrick applauds the Real Madrid fans (Photo by Florencia Tan Jun/Getty Images)
From Leeds’ perspective, the appeal is clear. With backing from the 49ers group and a renewed focus on recruitment strategy, the club are keen to identify players who can both elevate performance levels and retain strong resale value.
Endrick would be the ideal ambitious signing that they need to elevate their profile.
While Los Blancos still value Endrick’s potential, competition for places and financial considerations could make a permanent sale tempting, particularly with several European clubs tracking his situation.
Whether Leeds can realistically convince Endrick to choose Elland Road over more established European destinations remains uncertain.
However, the very fact the club are being linked with a player of his calibre speaks volumes about their ambition.
Leeds United striker Joel Piroe has been linked with a move away from the club this month.
The striker has struggled for regular opportunities this season, and the 26-year-old needs to leave the club in order to play more often. He has secured just 324 minutes of first-team action in all competitions this season.
According to a report via MOT Leeds News, Italian club Como are interested in signing the player. They hope to secure his signature this month, but it remains to be seen whether they can get the deal done.
Meanwhile, Spanish outfit Real Betis have also registered their interest in the player. However, the 26-year-old striker is not desperate for an exit, and he is prepared to stay and fight for his place at Leeds United.
It remains to be seen how the situation develops.
Leeds United are currently fighting for survival in the Premier League and could use more quality and depth in the squad. Keeping the 26-year-old at the club might not be a bad idea. They have been overly dependent on Dominic Calvert-Lewin for goals, and the 26-year-old could support the former Everton star.
Joel Piroe of Leeds United shoots. (Photo by Cameron Howard/Getty Images)
Piroe is at the peak of his career right now, and he needs regular game time in order to fulfil his potential. It will be interesting to see if he can convince Daniel Farke to give him more opportunities during the second half of the season.
Meanwhile, Leeds have been linked with multiple strikers in recent months, and it is clear that they are looking to improve in that area of the pitch. If they decide to sign another centre-forward, it would be bad news for the 26-year-old and it would push him further down the pecking order.
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