Rob Green settles whether Brenden Aaronson’s goal for Leeds United vs West Ham should have stood
Former Leeds United goalkeeper Rob Green has had his say on whether Brenden Aaronson’s opening goal against West Ham should have stood.
Brenden Aaronson delighted the Leeds fans as he opened the scoring after just three minutes, poking home from close range to give his side the lead over West Ham.
However, there was some anxiety among the Leeds fans after the goal was referred to VAR to check if Dominic Calvert-Lewin was in an offside position.
Thankfully for Daniel Farke and his Leeds side, Calvert-Lewin was deemed to be onside despite the Leeds forward being close to goalkeeper Alfonse Areola, before Joe Rodon extended Leeds’ lead with a header.
Now, former England international Rob Green has delivered his verdict on whether Aaronson’s goal should have stood, as Leeds secured a much-needed home win.
Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images
Rob Green gives his verdict on Brenden Aaronson’s goal vs West Ham
Speaking on Sky Sports at half-time of the game between Leeds and West Ham, Green backed the match officials’ decision to allow Aaronson’s goal to stand.
According to Green, the lack of protest from the West Ham goalkeeper showed that the right decision was made. Green said: “There’s no reaction from Alfonse Areola in terms of going to the referee for a reaction.
“But there was no real reaction from Oliver Scarles initially to the man across him again playing out of position. It’s a really tough evening for him, and then Aaron Wan-Bissaka is like a statue at the far post, getting his arms up out of the way.
MORE LEEDS UNITED STORIES
“But the question was whether Areola could see the ball. He can clearly see the ball, so, despite Calvert-Lewin being offside, he’s not actually impeding Alfonse Areola. He’s on the ground, he’s having to get up to then try and react to make the save.
“You can’t just flap at it from the ground. So he’s going to have to get up, and that’s what’s stopped him from making a save, not from Calvert-Lewin. I mean, it’s an incredible goal to concede.”
Photo by Richard Sellers/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images
Brenden Aaronson produces his best display for Leeds United
Brenden Aaronson was criticised after his display against Burnley. However, he showed he is capable of being an attacking threat in the Premier League with an impressive display against West Ham.
Given the importance of the game, this was arguably Aaronson’s best display in a Leeds shirt to date, as his goal capped off an impressive all-round performance. Aaronson was named as the man of the match by FotMob, with a rating of 8.2, and this was backed by his stats from the game.
Brenden Aaronson vs West Ham:
- Touches: 38
- Chances Created: 2
- Passes into final third: 3
- Successful dribbles: 3
- Defensive Contributions: 9
Aaronson created the joint-most chances for Leeds, with two, and also completed the most dribbles with three, including one mazy second-half run, which led to a deflected shot that hit the bar.
With Dan James nearing a return to full fitness, Aaronson has given Daniel Farke a decision to make. If Aaronson continues to play like this, he could be a secret weapon for the Whites this season.
