Brenden Aaronson’s coach has already had to defend him from fan abuse this season — twice.
But things appear to be changing at Leeds for the U.S. men’s national soccer team attacker, who with each passing week looks more like the solution and less like the problem for the Premier League outfit.
His latest contribution might have been his most significant. Aaronson showed just about everything that makes him valuable on one play against Manchester United, scoring a vital goal as Leeds stretched its unbeaten run to seven.
The American’s heroics at Elland Road kick off this week’s Five.
Brenden Aaronson ‘deserves all the plaudits’
Brenden Aaronson has found his footing in the Premier League.
The Leeds attacker scored his side’s only goal in a 1-1 draw with Manchester United on Sunday, making it two goals and three assists in his last 11 Premier League appearances.
It’s a modest hot streak, but it’s a massive improvement when considering Aaronson had one goal and three assists in his previous 44 Premier League games. The 25-year-old has become a key player this season for Leeds, which is now eight points clear of the relegation zone.
Aaronson’s goal typified everything that he’s about. The USMNT midfielder chased down a 50-50 ball, getting in behind United’s defense and then showing the quality and composure to bury his chance.
‘Sometimes you have to take a chance,’ Aaronson said after the game. ‘The ball came to me. I think that the center back didn’t know that I was going to be kind of running off his shoulder like that. It was a good touch. And then it is just about putting it on target.’
Leeds manager Daniel Farke was full of praise after the game for a player he has stuck with despite many calls for his removal from the lineup.
‘He deserves all the plaudits at the moment,’ Farke said. ‘Great finish. There’s more clarity in his play. He embodies what we are about in creating chances and working hard off the ball.’
Weston McKennie shines further upfield
Weston McKennie playing a new position is hardly earth-shattering news, but the Juventus man’s latest shift is noteworthy in the context of his USMNT role.
McKennie was moved into a trequartista – or attacking midfield – role against Lecce on Saturday, a similar spot to where he played under USMNT boss Mauricio Pochettino in October.
Playing further up the pitch, McKennie found a pocket of space and converted his first Serie A goal of the season in a 1-1 draw. Though it was his first league goal, McKennie now has three goals and two assists in his past nine games in all competitions.
After he was surprisingly omitted from two of three fall rosters for the USMNT, McKennie’s proficiency as a trequartista served as a timely reminder for Pochettino.
‘It’s not a new position for me,’ McKennie said after the game. ‘I’m always available for the coach and the team and I try to give 100 percent wherever I play.
‘I like the trequartista role because you can help both defensively and offensively.’
Yunus Musah gradually building at Atalanta
Yunus Musah isn’t yet a key player for Atalanta, but the midfielder’s role is trending in the right direction.
Musah has now played in four consecutive Serie A games for La Dea, coming off the bench for the last 30 minutes of Saturday’s 1-0 win over Roma.
After Musah was an unused sub in seven of eight matches, he has finally started to prove his worth to manager Raffaele Palladino. It certainly doesn’t hurt that Atalanta has won three of its past four games either.
‘In the middle, he’s a buzzing presence who brings freshness and keeps the midfield under Atalanta’s control,’ read an assessment from Gazzetta dello Sport this week. ‘His rise within the team hierarchy continues.’
Musah found himself on the outside of the USMNT picture in 2025, making just two appearances. If he can find a way to continue his mini-surge at Atalanta, there might still be a way back before the World Cup.
Jedi thrown into the deep end
There was no build-up period for Antonee Robinson. When he was back from injury, it was full speed ahead.
After nearly three months on the sideline with knee problems, the Fulham left back has now played every minute of six consecutive games, including Sunday’s thrilling 2-2 draw against Liverpool.
Robinson was excellent against Arne Slot’s side, and could have had multiple assists with better finishing from his teammates.
The 28-year-old was a major concern for Pochettino just a couple months ago, but he’s once again locked in as a vital player for the Cottagers. If he continues in this manner, Robinson will undoubtedly regain the same status with the USMNT in 2026.
New Jersey derby in La Liga
Very few, if any, games in La Liga history will have had so much Jersey as Sunday’s match between Real Sociedad and Atlético Madrid.
New Jersey-born coach Pellegrino Matarazzo made history in his Sociedad debut, becoming the first American manager in La Liga.
New Jersey-born midfielder Johnny Cardoso, meanwhile, played the final half hour for Atlético in a 1-1 draw. It’s been an injury-hit debut campaign for the 24-year-old, who made just his seventh appearance of the season Sunday.
For Matarazzo, securing a draw against a top-four opponent is an auspicious beginning at a club mired in a relegation fight.