Leeds United’s bid for automatic promotion suffered another setback as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Luton Town at Kenilworth Road—a result that further complicates their path back to the Premier League.
While the dropped points were frustrating enough, the spotlight quickly shifted to Joel Piroe’s disappointing outing, with manager Daniel Farke clearly unhappy with the striker’s display.
The Whites, who not long ago sat at the top of the Championship, have now fallen to third place, picking up just one win in their last six matches.
With only six games remaining, their promotion hopes are now under serious pressure.
Piroe’s performance on Saturday summed up Leeds’ recent struggles. The Dutchman was ineffective in attack and looked off the pace from the start.
He failed to complete a single dribble, won just one of his 17 duels, and was unsuccessful in all eight aerial challenges—despite his physical stature.
Add in four times dispossessed and multiple misplaced passes, it’s clear why frustration is mounting.
Daniel Farke was not happy with Piroe
One moment in particular drew an angry response from Farke. Piroe dropped into midfield to receive a simple pass from Pascal Struijk but, with pressure on his back, scuffed a first-time layoff intended for Junior Firpo straight out of play.
The miscue led to a Luton throw-in and prompted a visibly annoyed reaction from Farke on the sidelines.
LUTV commentator Bryan Law, reported about the manager’s visible frustration at the player. He stated:
“Struijk, straight ball into Piroe but that’s not going to work. It comes off Piroe and out it goes, that will be a Luton throw-in and Daniel Farke, down below, is not entirely happy.”
This latest match marked six games without a goal contribution for Piroe. Despite having 15 goals and six assists across 40 games this season, his form has dipped at a critical time.
As Leeds fight to reclaim a top-two spot, they’ll need more from their attacking core.
If Leeds are to revive their push for promotion, their key players including Piroe must deliver under pressure.
