This season, Leeds are leading the Championship for the first time. The Whites put on a polished display at Elland Road on Sunday, defeating Millwall 2-0 under Daniel Farke’s leadership.

Clearly, Millwall was going to learn a lesson from Huddersfield. The team of Neil Harris was prepared for combat. And they were more than delighted to see the match stopped. That meant we had to score the first goal right away.

Willy Gnonto lauded for his improvement after Leeds win

Fortunately, Willy Gnonto was the right person for the job. The Italian broke the tie in the first half with an incredible goal. Since the start of the year, the 20-year-old has been playing at an extraordinary level.

It is amazing considering where Gnonto has been this season. Naturally, Gnonto was linked to withdrawing early in the war. And his desire to leave caused him to split from Farke.

For him to make a real difference, time was needed. Beyond merely in front of the net, though, Gnonto has made notable strides in other domains as well.

The attacking players are now more skilled at playing defence and tracking back, according to Leigh Bromby on BBC Radio Leeds.

Gnonto has made the greatest progress, though.

“He was really poor at it. He was dropped by managers because he did not track back, he just attacked. And it was fantastic because, as a fan, you watch it and you think, wow, what a talent this guy is. If you’re playing in his team, you’re thinking he’s a liability, because he’s not working for the team,” he said.

“That’s totally changed. You see him tracking back today. You see him working for the team. That comes from the manager and what he wants in place.”

Italian has made a massive difference in recent weeks

Considering how little Gnonto did in the first several months of the season, some people might have been afraid about him. That was, of course, also following his struggles in the latter weeks of our relegation campaign.

But it’s clear that those of us who had our doubts about him were mistaken. Leeds has risen to the top of the table thanks in large part to his five league goals since the beginning of February.

However, his development as a team player has also been crucial.