Backing up last season’s haul of 24 goal involvements was always going to be difficult for Pablo Hernandez, who has been below his high standards at times this term in the Sky Bet Championship. However, on Saturday he was the difference for Leeds United against Reading at Elland Road and showed how he can still make a key impact in the quest for Premier League football.

Leeds have been stuttering in the promotion race in the opening two months of 2020, but a three-match unbeaten run and seven points from nine has seemingly got them heading back in the right direction, with Hernandez improving game-on-game in that spell.

Hernandez was below-par in the defeat to Nottingham Forest on February 8^th, but he showed signs of improving in the draw with Brentford and produced a lovely passing display in the win over Bristol City the following weekend. And, that steady rise back to something like his best level was complete on Saturday, as Hernandez scored the winning goal in a 1-0 victory over Reading.

Of course, the 34-year-old likes going up against the Royals; he scored a brace at the Madejski Stadium last season and terrorised the home side with two emphatic finishes. There was more of the same on Saturday, even though Leeds didn’t put Reading to the sword like they did last March, with Hernandez toying with the opposition.

Here, we put the spotlight on his most recent meeting with Reading, taking a closer look at how he was the difference for Marcelo Bielsa’s side…

Hernandez completed 85 minutes at Elland Road before he was replaced by Jamie Shackleton as Leeds looked to close out the game, with the Spaniard’s goal giving the Whites a narrow advantage to hold onto.

That goal was one of six shots Hernandez had at the Reading goal and was the only piece of composure from either side when it mattered.

Receiving the ball from Luke Ayling inside the Leeds half, Hernandez set his side on the attack. As Leeds swarmed the right, a touch from Reading left-back Omar Richards set Mateusz Klich away, with the midfielder finding Helder Costa on the inside; he could’ve shot, but instead teed up Hernandez, who drove a shot at Liam Moore.

That didn’t end Leeds’ attacking phase, however, with Hernandez jinking through the challenges before prodding a shot past Rafael and into the roof of the net, leaving Elland Road to erupt.

Two of Hernandez’s six shots on goal came in that passage of play, as well as one of his successful dribbles and touches in the area, with Hernandez’s constant chipping away at the Reading defence eventually forcing them to concede.

There were three successful dribbles, four accurate crosses and an 80% pass success rate, with Hernandez twisting and turning defenders throughout the afternoon, drifting wide into crossing positions and passing the Royals to death.

It wasn’t quite the complete performance from Hernandez and the creative cog only managed one shot assist during his time on the field, but by full-time it was his clinical moment in the final third that had the points in the bag and Leeds pulling back clear of the play-off places.

Hernandez might not be making the difference quite as much as he did last season for Bielsa, but hitting the heights of last season was always a little bit of tall order for a player winding down after a magnificent career.

Saturday felt like a reward for Hernandez consistently chipping away and looking to reach those levels again for Leeds, who will be hoping their playmaker can use this as a springboard to make the difference in the remaining 12 fixtures.

Five goals and four assists so far is hardly likely to develop into the same tally as last season, but if Hernandez can help Leeds over the line in the tight fixtures and then the promotion race, it’ll mean just as much.