Leeds United have been deep in the midst of a difficult spell, with manager Thomas Christiansen coming under heavy fire following seven defeats in nine games.

The Whites had been in abysmal form, but appear to have turned a corner, having picked up two wins from three games last week.

Victories over Middlesbrough and Barnsley provided the West Yorkshire side with a priceless morale boost, and Christiansen will lead his side into the tough encounter with Aston Villa on Friday evening full of confidence.

An upturn in performances from key men has contributed to Leeds’ recovery, with the likes of Samuel Saiz and Ezgjan Alioski finding form at exactly the right time.

The pair are leading the goalscoring charts for the club this season following their summer arrivals, and are without a doubt the key men at Elland Road at this stage.

However, stats revealed by journalist Chris Taylor show another player to be one of the best in his position.

Midfielder Kalvin Phillips has completed 58 successful tackles in the league this term, and is second to only QPR’s Massimo Luongo in the charts.

The academy graduate’s work has gone largely unnoticed this season, but fans were quick to praise the youngster for his exploits in this department…