Paul Heckingbottom picked up his first three points as Leeds United head-coach yesterday, with the Whites recording a victory over Brentford at Elland Road.

Liam Cooper’s first-half header settled a game of very few chances, with Leeds walking away with three points thanks to a 1-0 victory, which keeps their slim hopes of the play-offs alive heading into the final 12 fixtures of the season.

There have been some improved performances under Heckingbottom, with Ezgjan Alioski one man in particular that has looked back to his best in a 4-4-2 formation.

Chris Taylor (@LUFCDATA) has taken a look at some of the stats behind the 26-year-old’s impact at Elland Road yesterday, highlighting a strong defensive effort from the winger, with Alioski winning eight tackles, which was more than any other player on the pitch.

Added to that, Alioski was involved in the game’s only goal, with the Macedonian international swinging in a perfect free-kick for Cooper to head home just after half-an-hour.

Alioski has now been involved in two goals in his last two games, having scored for Leeds in their 2-2 draw with Derby County on Wednesday evening.

The Verdict

Alioski was impressive yesterday against Brentford, and looked far better with Samuel Saiz in the starting XI.

Heckingbottom will be delighted with the winger’s recent contribution, as he is starting to look like the player Leeds thought they had bought.

Now is the time for Alioski to add more goals to his game.

Leeds fans… Let us know your thoughts!