Brenden Aaronson’s career-best form at Leeds United is reshaping his USMNT outlook

To understand why this recent run means so much for Aaronson and his career, it helps to consider the rollercoaster he has experienced at Leeds.

The Philadelphia Union product signed for Leeds in 2022, leaving RB Salzburg behind for the next stage of his development in the Premier League. The fee was hefty, reportedly nearly $33.6 million (£25 million), and when you command a fee like that, expectations are outsized, too. Aaronson didn't quite live up to them. He scored his first goal that August, pouncing on an Edouard Mendy mistake in a win over Chelsea, but that was the only goal he'd score across 40 games in a relegation season. Then came the loan to Union Berlin, which produced just two goals in 38 games. By the time he returned to Leeds ahead of the 2024-25 Championship season, opinions had been formed about Aaronson.

He worked as hard as he could to change them last season. Ultimately, he did plenty of good things to help Leeds get promoted, emerging as the club's ironman while adding nine goals to the mix. The criticism didn't quiet, though, particularly as Aaronson prepped for another crack at the Premier League. Would Leeds replace him? Could they afford to go into the most competitive league in the world with a player who had just three goals in nearly 80 Premier League and Bundesliga games? Was Aaronson good enough? Leeds fans were right at the front of the line to ask those questions all summer long.

“It’s important not to put too much weight on his shoulders,” Farke said in September. “Sometimes the feeling with Brenden is that we are a bit over-critical in public. We know Brenden has challenges in his offensive game in terms of decision-making, being a bit clearer and more straightforward. This is something we speak a lot about.

“It’s not like I press a button, do my magic, and he’s a completely different player. In training, we bring him more into positions where he has to make decisions. It’s not like he is not willing to score or is not highly motivated. Sometimes, because he is so on it, he is, perhaps, losing a bit of his calmness, but it’s not helpful if everyone is always criticizing him.”

Aaronson has turned that criticism into results, though, and, especially now, the Leeds fans are thankful for it.

Aaronson’s recent form is evident even without diving deep into the data. The numbers, though, help explain the scale of his impact.

There's the quality of opposition, of course. The run started on Dec. 6 with an assist in a draw with  Premier League champions Liverpool. There was another assist to earn a point from Sunderland, a club defying all expectations this season. Then, against Manchester United, Aaronson scored again in another 1-1 draw before his first Premier League brace was unfortunately derailed by a 4-3 loss to Newcastle.

The performance against Newcastle, in particular, was the most eventful as Aaronson was quite clearly the day's main character. In 89 minutes, he had his two goals, won nine of his 14 duels, made four tackles, had three shots on target, and created a chance. He also got called for an unfortunate handball that helped secure Newcastle a penalty and, ultimately, the win. There was no denying it, even with that handball call: Aaronson was the most dangerous player on the pitch.

That breakthrough isn't unexpected, though, because the underlying numbers say that it was coming. According to Gradient Sports, Aaronson ranks as above average in every major statistical category, ranging from shooting, passing, crossing, and dribbling to challenges and clearances. DataMB, meanwhile, reveals that Aaronson is the best in the Premier League at Chance Creation Ratio, which measures creativity and attacking threat.

Aaronson is by no means a perfect player, but he is benefiting from something that can lift anyone from solid to great: confidence. It's clear that the Leeds star has been building that all season long, having now amassed four goals and three assists this season - with the majority of those contributions coming in the past few weeks.

Of course, there's a USMNT element to all of that, too, as Aaronson will now look to bridge the Atlantic and carry this form right on towards the World Cup.

The attacking midfield position is a crowded one with the USMNT, and it seemingly only gets more crowded. Even at this summer's Gold Cup, a tournament that saw the U.S. playing without several notable stars, Aaronson was behind the likes of Malik Tillman and Diego Luna on the depth chart. He started just once in the final group stage game against Haiti. He did make an impact despite the limited minutes, though, scoring against Trinidad & Tobago before then teeing up Tillman for the opener in that Haiti game.

Tillman and Luna aren't going anywhere. Christian Pulisic, meanwhile, continues to shine for Milan, while Gio Reyna seems to be back in the picture after putting in star performances in November. Weston McKennie and Tim Weah, too, could be looked at as players also in that mix to play attacking roles just behind the striker.

With all of that said, Mauricio Pochettino and his staff know what they'll get with Aaronson. In the fall, Pochettino's top assistant, Jesus Perez, spoke with GOAL about the program's standards. He said a team can't succeed if some days are a 10 out of 10 and some are a two out of 10. The goal is to both raise the level and provide consistency because that's what allows a coaching staff to plan for the road ahead.

Aaronson is, in many ways, a floor raiser. You always know that, even on his worst day, he will give you the right sort of energy and effort to allow those around him to play. Pochettino also knows that Aaronson is a player who can put his head down and respond to adversity. The Argentine saw him do just that this summer when, after being left off March's Nations League roster, Aaronson stepped right back into the U.S. team with no questions asked.

"Brenden is an experienced player who has already brought a lot to the national team," Pochettino said this summer. "He’s a player who has a total commitment to the national team. His character, whichever position he's in, he’s always helping, always being positive in all moments. He’s a very dynamic player. We're very familiar with his characteristics, and he’s a player who brings a lot of positives to the group."

If those positives can now include goals and assists, Aaronson can be a ceiling raiser, too. With this type of confidence in his back pocket, Aaronson is a player who could really add something to the USMNT this summer. The challenge now is, of course, getting there while helping Leeds stay in the Premier League.

Even with Aaronson's recent heroics, Leeds aren't exactly comfortable in the Premier League. There is an eight-point gap between Leeds and 18th-place West Ham, but the club is still in 16th place. Leeds haven't quite been able to turn Aaronson's hot streak into the points they need to rocket up the table and, more importantly, make safety a foregone conclusion.

As is typical in the Premier League at this time of year, things aren't slowing down. The club will host Fulham this weekend before facing Everton on Jan. 26. After that comes a date with Arsenal, this season's title favorites. It's a crucial run not just for Leeds but for Aaronson as he looks to prove his recent run isn't temporary, but rather something more real.

If that happens, the criticism will subside. The nitpicking will end, and the polarization will quickly fade away. If that happens, his role with Leeds will get even bigger. His USMNT standing might, too. All of that is to say that Aaronson is discovering himself at the right time, and it's now up to Leeds and the USMNT to make the most of that throughout this crucial 2026.

"For me, I'm just going to go out there and continue to get better and better," Aaronson told GOAL at the Gold Cup. "I know it sounds boring, but, for me, it's true. I'm proud of how this season went, but I want to grow. I think I can get better. I'm really happy with this season, but I think I can continue to prove people wrong."