BBC NEWS; Junior Firpo offers a humorous nickname for Leeds United’s Joel Piroe.
Leeds United completely overpowered Mark Robins and Coventry City at Elland Road, cruising to their fourth league win in five games, with Joel Piroe netting his third goal in three games off the bench to the joy of Leeds supporters and Junior Firpo.
Daniel Farke’s team was hoping to gain momentum after their 2-0 success against Cardiff City, with a home victory important moving into a series of challenging matchups, including travels to Norwich City and Sunderland.
Leeds controlled the opening half, scoring through Willy Gnonto. He finished Firpo’s feed high into the net with a fantastic first-time effort.
Cov failed to make a single effort on Illan Meslier’s goal in the first half, and it was only a matter of time before Leeds got the second goal they needed to keep the points in West Yorkshire.
Jayden Bogle’s strike from Largie Ramazani’s slipped pass made it 2-0 just after the break, and Leeds continued the second half in the same way they had completed the first.
Coventry never looked like making a comeback, and Leeds added to their lead with little over 10 minutes remaining when replacement Joel Piroe blasted home following another beautiful team play involving Mateo Joseph, Ao Tanaka, and Gnonto.
| Championship standings (30/09/24) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Club | Played | GD | Points | |
| 1 | West Brom | 7 | +7 | 16 |
| 2 | Sunderland | 7 | +8 | 15 |
| 3 | Blackburn Rovers | 7 | +8 | 15 |
| 4 | Burnley | 7 | +9 | 14 |
| 5 | Leeds United | 7 | +8 | 14 |
| 6 | Sheffield United | 7 | +6 | 13 |
Junior Firpo reacts to Joel Piroe goal against Coventry City
Piroe’s third goal of the season, coming off the bench, was the least Leeds deserved that afternoon. The Dutchman continues to vindicate Farke’s choice to keep him as a super-sub, having scored all four goals this season off the bench.
Farke had an interesting problem in attack as the new season got off, with all eyes on Joseph and whether the German would hand him his full league debut as Leeds’ lead attacker in 2024/25.
Piroe is a terrific goalscorer at this level, but there have always been doubts about his all-around game as a line-leading striker at the heart of the attack, particularly in the absence of the correct player profiles and off-the-ball energy around him.
He has took six shots and scored three goals with an xG of 1.65 (all numbers via FotMob), making him one of the league’s most effective marksmen. Firpo now refers to the Leeds forward as “Mr. One Chance”.
Farke’s Piroe conundrum
Piroe’s record in the second division is tough to dismiss, despite the fact that he lacks some of the all-round striker attributes required of a number nine. He may lack Joseph’s agility and energy outside of possession, but he can score goals in any club or system.
He has shown this this season; nonetheless, the problem has always been that Piroe is not suited to playing as a lone focal point up front, as he lacks the skill level required to handle the ball and lead the line.
As a result, his substitute appearances against tired legs have been so beneficial thus far, with his goal-scoring ability on display in crucial times to seal games.Leeds are winning and there is no need to change anything, even though Piroe is the club’s greatest finisher.
| Joel Piroe’s career stats in English football – as per Transfermarkt (all comps) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | Appearances | Goals | Assists |
| 2024/25 | Leeds United | 8 | 3 | 1 |
| 2023/24 | Leeds United/ Swansea City | 53 | 16 | 3 |
| 2022/23 | Swansea City | 45 | 20 | 2 |
| 2021/22 | Swansea City | 47 | 24 | 6 |
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