While it may have been the 2-1 defeat to Wigan Athletic that marked the first setback, it was the 2-0 loss at Brentford the following Easter Monday that arguably really sparked the crisis that ultimately cost Leeds United promotion last season.

Taken in isolation, that defeat to Wigan on its own may not have cost Marcelo Bielsa's side promotion, had they been able to bounce back at Griffin Park just a few days later.

That however was something they were unable to do, with the Bees taking a comfortable and convincing 2-0 win on their own turf, leaving Leeds facing the prospect of the lottery of the play-offs, and we all know what happened there.

The first meeting between these sides this season was therefore always going to be an intriguing encounter, and that was even before the events of the summer transfer window.

In the aftermath of that play-off semi-final defeat to Derby County, the sight of Pontus Jansson slumped up against the advertising hoardings at Elland Road all by himself, had more than a few observers suggesting that all was not well behind the scenes with regards to one of Leeds' cult heroes.

Indeed, as the summer went on, it seemed to become more and more likely that Jansson's time in Yorkshire was coming to an end, with reports of a breakdown in his relationship with Bielsa continued to grow, and it was Brentford who somewhat unexpectedly took advantage of that, swooping to seal a deal for the Swede thought to be worth around £5.5million.

Now, Jansson is set for a relatively quick return to Elland Road when Brentford make the trip to Yorkshire on Wednesday night, and it could be a surreal experience for those involved.

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Given the passion and commitment shown by Jansson during his time at the club, which made him a hugely popular figure amongst the Leeds faithful, this does seem to be just about the only issue that the club's fanbase have seemingly disagreed with the otherwise untouchable Bielsa on.

However, you do feel that the scrutiny around Jansson's departure in the build-up to his first return to Elland Road, would have been heightened a lot more than it has, had it not been for the impact of the man brought in to replace him.

Despite still being just 21-year-old, Brighton loanee Ben White has slotted into the gap left by Jansson seamlessly.

Whereas Jansson had arrived at Elland Road off the back of time in the Italian top flight with Torino, White's only previous experience as a first-team regular has come during loan spells in Leagues One and Two with Peterborough and Newport respectively.

Watching him, however, that isn't something you would have known. White has been a more than reliable replacement for Jansson, already forming an effective partnership with club captain Liam Cooper, and establishing himself as a similar sort of presence to his Swedish predecessor.

Add to that the ability that he has shown when in possession, and it becomes clear to see why Leeds were apparently so keen to install an option-to-buy clause in his loan deal, and indeed, why Brighton rejected that idea.

With White in that position, the pre-season concerns about Leeds struggling to battle for promotion again as a result of the sale of players such as Jansson have so far yet to materialise, with Bielsa's side near the top of the early standings with two wins and a draw from their opening three games of the season.

It seems therefore that the risk that was taken in allowing one of their key players from last season to leave the club has paid off, and if White puts in another performance like the ones he already has so far this season, there are unlikely to be too many Leeds fans coming away from Elland Road tonight lamenting the departure of Pontus Jansson.