{"id":843105,"date":"2026-03-22T16:12:27","date_gmt":"2026-03-22T16:12:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/843105\/"},"modified":"2026-03-22T16:12:27","modified_gmt":"2026-03-22T16:12:27","slug":"lukas-nmecha-is-out-of-chances-brentford-taught-us-its-time-for-noah-okafor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/843105\/","title":{"rendered":"Lukas Nmecha is out of chances, Brentford taught us it’s time for Noah Okafor"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Leeds<\/p>\n

(Credit: Imago)<\/p>\n

\"Jacob <\/p>\n

Sun 22 March 2026 11:10, UK <\/p>\n

Leeds United<\/a>\u2018s draw to Brentford on Saturday taught us more than one thing, and Daniel Farke may have now learnt it\u2019s time to drop Lukas Nmecha in place of Noah Okafor.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Whites were held to a 0-0 draw by the Bees at Elland Road in another goalless game from Farke\u2019s men.<\/p>\n

Dominic Calvert-Lewin has hit a rough patch, but the reintroduction of his strike partnership with Nmecha gave Leeds fans some hope heading into the match.<\/p>\n

The draw to Crystal Palace was the first time the strikers had started up top together in many weeks, but eyes should now start turning to Nmecha for his overall performances. <\/p>\n

Okafor came off the bench<\/a> against Brentford, but after the international break, it\u2019ll surely be time for him to start.<\/p>\n

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This is why Daniel Farke needs to play Noah Okafor instead of Lukas Nmecha<\/p>\n

Nmecha has had his moments of brilliance this season, and there\u2019s no doubt he and Calvert-Lewin have both been great pick-ups by the 49ers.<\/p>\n

However, the German was completely ineffective again this weekend, as Farke needs to either demand more from him or make the move to drop him.<\/p>\n\nDepartment <\/td>\nStat<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\nMinutes<\/td>\n69\u2032<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\nDribble success<\/td>\n0%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\nCrosses (successful)<\/td>\n2 (0)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\nAerial duels (won)<\/td>\n5 (1)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\nShots<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\nxG<\/td>\n0.03<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

Nmecha\u2019s stats vs Brentford<\/strong><\/p>\n

Okafor has just returned from injury<\/a>, which is most likely why he was only given 21 minutes off the bench, but the fact he was the direct swap for Nmecha says it all.<\/p>\n

The Swiss international has bagged four goals in the Premier League this campaign, and though he didn\u2019t make too much of an impact against the Bees, he\u2019ll be more effective than Nmecha once back to full fitness.<\/p>\n

\n

Aaronson off for Tanaka and Nmecha off for Okafor in the 69th minute. #lufc<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Beren Cross (@BerenCross) March 21, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

View Tweet<\/p>\n

The problem is that Nmecha and Calvert-Lewin are too like-for-like. Okafor offers the Whites something different, and something they\u2019ve been lacking in recent games.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s great that Farke has him back for selection now, but it\u2019s also clear what he has to do next.<\/p>\n

Where does Wilfried Gnonto fit into things?<\/p>\n

Wilfried Gnonto will want to play an important part from now until the end of the season, but as of right now, that looks unlikely.<\/p>\n

Ironically, the Italian is also quite like-for-like with Okafor in that their stature and main skills are similar: dribbling, chance creation, shooting, and speed.<\/p>\n