Stach’s 35-yard screamer earns midfielder Hisense Player of the Match award | OneFootball

Anton Stach was voted the Hisense Player of the Match by Leeds United supporters following a superb all-round display in the 1-1 draw with Aston Villa at Villa Park.

The midfielder earned 62% of the public vote on leedsunited.com after producing a moment of magic that lit up the West Midlands and set the Whites on their way. He finished comfortably ahead of Ethan Ampadu (16%), Joe Rodon (8%) and Karl Darlow (7%) in the supporter poll.

In a fiercely contested encounter at Villa Park, it was Leeds United who struck first - and in sensational style. After setting up his free-kick 35 yards from goal, Stach looked up and unleashed a sumptuous strike that completely caught out Emiliano Martínez. The effort sailed beyond the scrambling goalkeeper and into the net, leaving the travelling supporters in raptures and providing one of the goals of the season.

It was a strike worthy of winning any contest and capped a dominant individual display in the heart of midfield. Stach registered three shots in total across his 83 minutes on the pitch, constantly driving the Whites forward and probing the home defence.

The German also demonstrated his quality in possession and without the ball. He recorded 36 touches and completed nine passes, while creating two chances for his teammates. Defensively, he was equally influential, making 11 defensive contributions including one block, two clearances and two interceptions. Add to that six recoveries and two duels won, and it underlined the authority with which he patrolled the centre of the park.

Stach’s energy and athleticism were evident throughout, carrying the ball 10 times for a total distance of 97.2 metres as Leeds looked to transition quickly from defence into attack.

Stach’s afternoon came to a close in the 83rd minute when he was replaced by Sean Longstaff, departing to a standing ovation from the away end in recognition of a standout display.