Ao Tanaka shines in Leeds United's Carabao Cup victory

Leeds United midfielder Ao Tanaka made his first appearance of the season during the Carabao Cup second round match against Nottingham Forest on the 25th. Tanaka started in the midfield and played until the 68th minute, contributing to Leeds United's 2-0 victory.

Local media outlets provided varying assessments of his performance. MOT Leeds News gave Tanaka a team-high rating of 9, praising his presence across the midfield and his ability to create chances, specifically noting a precise through ball to Dan James in the 31st minute. The outlet described his movement between the lines as “perfectly fitted” to the team.

Other evaluations were more mixed. LeedsLive awarded him a 7, noting that while his ball recoveries were accurate, he also experienced too many ball losses and received a yellow card for a challenge. Leeds United News gave him a 6, highlighting his energetic entry into the match and sharp short passing, though noting his influence became more limited as the game progressed.