Ao Tanaka eyes "incredible" Leeds United difference maker v West Ham with personal admission and team must

Ao Tanaka is eyeing an “incredible” Leeds United “difference” against West Ham in declaring a Whites must with a personal admission.

Daniel Farke’s newly-promoted side are still three points clear of the relegation zone after eight games played but Tanaka admits his men need to be winning their home games ahead of Friday’s huge visit of second-bottom West Ham.

Leeds have taken five points from four games played at LS11 so far this season, the opening weekend Monday night win against Everton followed by draws against Newcastle United and Bournemouth before the 2-1 defeat to Tottenham before the international break.

Friday’s visit of West Ham, though, marks just a second game of the season under the Elland Road lights, Tanaka saluting the match-night atmosphere that United’s fans create as an “incredible, unbelievable” difference for his team.

Overall, Tanaka feels his Whites have started the new season well but the Japanese international star admits the heat is now on to pick up more points and that he too has a lot to learn at this level of the game from set pieces to long throws.

“This is important for us to win this game”

Speaking to Premier League Productions this week and as quoted by Leeds United’s official website, Tanaka said of West Ham: “It is a good team I think and they have played a long time in the Premier League, so it is not easy to win this game but you have to focus.

“I think this game is a little bit different because against Everton as well, we play a night game and then I think it was incredible, unbelievable.

“If we get a chance, if we play good, it makes so much good feeling here [for the crowd], so this is important for us to win this game.”

Reflecting on his team’s start to the season so far, Tanaka said: “We did well, we did well.

“But of course, we have to get points as much as possible and we have to win, especially at home. So, yeah, we have to keep going.

“Especially in the Premier League, every team is at such a high level so it is not easy to win the game. It is not easy to get a point, one point, but we just focus on the details. This is important for the Premier League.

“Small things are like every team has so much quality, especially with set pieces as well, long throws as well. This is important, so I need to learn a lot of things.”