Leeds star is the 49ers’ best signing yet

Not since May 2003 have Leeds United beaten Arsenal on the road.

The goals that day came from Ian Harte, Harry Kewell and Mark Viduka as they sealed a 3-2 victory.

Well, the Whites didn’t win at the weekend but their performance at the Emirates Stadium was arguably their finest in north London since those days 23 years ago.

Action Images via Reuters/Peter Cziborra

Leeds are a different beast now. They’ve established themselves as a tough nut to crack They’re incredibly well drilled and organised.

As a result, the Premier League champions were made to fight hard for their win last Saturday. At the heart of that was Anton Stach; he was exceptional.

How Stach dominated Arsenal

Arsenal are the best team in the land. They are Premier League holders for a reason.

When you face the might of Gabriel Magalhaes and Declan Rice, there is very often no way through. However, Leeds took advantage of a wounded Gunners side.

Sure, it had been three weeks since they lost 3-0 to Brighton but their confidence had been knocked and Daniel Farke’s side took full advantage of that.

Action Images via Reuters/Peter Cziborra

James Justin’s second half opener was more than they deserved for a performance which, in truth, they won many of the battles on the pitch.

In midfield, Leeds were strong. Lest we forget, Rice is a £105m signing and until the moment Bruno Guimaraes emerged, was given the runaround by not just Stach, but also Ethan Ampadu and Ao Tanaka.

The German, in particular, was simply outstanding in the middle of the park.

In truth, this has not been the finest starts to the season for the 27-year-old but he was much better on this occasion. While his performance was gritty and dogged, he was unfortunate not to score. His shot at the back post in the first half was remarkably blocked by Jayden Bogle when it looked to be going in.

While Stach was a nuisance in the final third, this was a well-rounded display. No player covered more distance while of Leeds players to start the game, no one completed a higher percentage of their passes (88%).

Furthermore, no player had more shots (2) than Stach. Only Tarik Muharemovic (10) and Ampadu (8), recorded more defensive contributions than the big German (7) while no Leeds player won more ground duels (5).

Why Stach is one of Leeds’ best signings

While Stach’s form has been patchy at the start of 2026/27, he was one of Leeds’ best players last term and is a symbol for their expert levels of recruitment in the transfer window.

REUTERS/David Klein

Just over a year ago, those behind the scenes made the decision to invest in tall and powerful players. Jaka Bijol, Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Stach all fit into that category.

A year on, they added to that calibre of signing with the additions of James Trafford and Tarik Muharemovic. Leeds realised that if they wanted to compete at this level, they didn’t just need a goalscorer like Calvert-Lewin but they needed duel winners, they needed a physical crop of players.

When Leeds were last promoted they got things wrong in the transfer window but they have got things spot on this time. Stach, therefore, is easily one of the best acquisitions of recent years.

Last season, the former Hoffenheim midfielder scored five times and registered three assists too. He’s capable of the spectacular too. The German has already scored more than one jaw-dropping free-kick since arriving at Elland Road.

Yet, due to that inconsistency we alluded to at the start of this portion of the article, he’s not the best signing of the 49ers era.

Summer signing is outshining Stach

Last time Leeds were in the Premier League, it was a period of time that supporters will likely be keen to forget about.

Everywhere you look there were duds. Whether it be Marc Roca, Robin Koch, Diego Llorente or Brenden Aaronson, a lot of cash was wasted. It has not been wasted this time around.

The aforementioned Muharemovic is a testament to that. Arriving in the summer from Sassuolo to the tune of £34m, the big Bosnian has hit the ground running immediately and taken to English football like a duck to water.

Calvert-Lewin deserves the credit for scoring the goals but Muharemovic is a symbol of Leeds’ new found resilience and organiastion.

One of the biggest reasons Farke’s side had not lost a game before travelling to London last weekend was their new centre-back.

Aged just 23, he has been a revelation at the back. Only eight players in his position have recorded more defensive contributions across the league. Further to that point, only Stach, Bijol and Ampadu have registered more in the entire Leeds squad.

Muharemovic’s qualities are outlined by where he ranks among his teammates. No player has recorded more accurate passes per 90 minutes (44.5), and only Ampadu has completed more line-breaking passes per 90. The Welshman has recorded 10.8 to the defender’s slightly inferior tally of 9.7.

As a result, it was hardly a surprise to learn of interest from Bayern Munich last week. The centre-back is a rare bread, he’s big, he’s good on the ball and he’s left-footed. It’s a set of unique traits that has seen him valued at £60m by Leeds.

REUTERS/David Klein

Yet, if we’re being honest, this is a player on course to be worth even more. Remember when Virgil van Dijk left Southampton for Liverpool in a £75m deal and when Harry Maguire headed to Manchester United for £80m?

Muharemovic is no worse than those two defenders were when they moved for big fees.