‘Amazing, wonderful, superb’ – YEP Jury on Man City 1 Leeds United 2

Our fans’ panel have plenty to say on Leeds United’s dramatic 2-1 victory over Manchester City yesterday. Here are their thoughts:
BATTLE: Leeds United's Raphinha and Manchester City's Fernandinho battle for the ball. Picture: Tim Keeton/PA Wire.BATTLE: Leeds United's Raphinha and Manchester City's Fernandinho battle for the ball. Picture: Tim Keeton/PA Wire.
BATTLE: Leeds United's Raphinha and Manchester City's Fernandinho battle for the ball. Picture: Tim Keeton/PA Wire.

DAVID WATKINS

Wow, wow, and thrice wow! What a performance!

To win at the Etihad with 11 men would have been stunning but to do it with 10 men defies all reason!

CLINCHER: Leeds United's Stuart Dallas celebrates scoring their side's winning against Manchester City. Picture: Michael Regan/PA Wire.CLINCHER: Leeds United's Stuart Dallas celebrates scoring their side's winning against Manchester City. Picture: Michael Regan/PA Wire.
CLINCHER: Leeds United's Stuart Dallas celebrates scoring their side's winning against Manchester City. Picture: Michael Regan/PA Wire.

The match statistics show Leeds had just two shots, both on target and both ended up in the City net from the right boot of Stuart Dallas; two quality finishes from perhaps the player of the season.

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That doesn’t tell the whole story though; there was more to Leeds in this game than just a rearguard action.

In the early stages Patrick Bamford was only denied a simple tap-in from a Roberts low cross by the merest of deflections while Raphinha got round the back of the City defence several times.

City may have had the lion’s share of the ball but Leeds went closest.

RED CARDED: Leeds United's Liam Cooper, far right, is sent off by referee Andre Marriner. Picture: Michael Regan/PA Wire.RED CARDED: Leeds United's Liam Cooper, far right, is sent off by referee Andre Marriner. Picture: Michael Regan/PA Wire.
RED CARDED: Leeds United's Liam Cooper, far right, is sent off by referee Andre Marriner. Picture: Michael Regan/PA Wire.

The red card was harsh in the extreme – especially when measured against other City challenges throughout the game that went by with lesser punishments; all we want is consistency but there was little of that in this game.

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Never mind, Leeds’ display was majestic and we weren’t to be denied a famous victory.

Man of the match: Stuart Dallas.

MATTHEW EVANS

MASTER MIND: Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa crouches on the sidelines with Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola in the background. Picture: Michael Regan/PA Wire.MASTER MIND: Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa crouches on the sidelines with Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola in the background. Picture: Michael Regan/PA Wire.
MASTER MIND: Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa crouches on the sidelines with Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola in the background. Picture: Michael Regan/PA Wire.

Before the game I was fretting that it would be like our previous visit to Manchester this season. Instead, it was more like our famous win in January 2010 with backs against the wall, odds stacked against us and smiling Leeds United faces at the final whistle.

Quite how Manchester City only scored once with 29 attempts on target is beyond me but it was like watching Bielsa’s side in the Championship.

Pure dominance but no final ball against a stubborn opposition.

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Maybe our players were taking what they’d seen others do against us so many times before and were deploying it in our favour for the first time.

EYE ON THE BALL: Leeds United's Luke Ayling (left) and Manchester City's Raheem Sterling battle for the ball during the Premier League match at the Etihad Stadium. Picture: Tim Keeton/PA Wire.EYE ON THE BALL: Leeds United's Luke Ayling (left) and Manchester City's Raheem Sterling battle for the ball during the Premier League match at the Etihad Stadium. Picture: Tim Keeton/PA Wire.
EYE ON THE BALL: Leeds United's Luke Ayling (left) and Manchester City's Raheem Sterling battle for the ball during the Premier League match at the Etihad Stadium. Picture: Tim Keeton/PA Wire.

I had thought that any last- minute winner would belong to City and I couldn’t see a way for us to score a second goal once Bamford and Roberts had been withdrawn.

I didn’t bank on our man of the match, Stuart Dallas, sprinting forward in injury time to slot it under the keeper.

The away end would have exploded and that is the only note of regret on a special weekend for us.

Man of the match: Stuart Dallas.

JACOB STARR

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Unbelievable. Did that really just happen? Did 10-man Leeds United seriously snatch a 2-1 victory away at the soon-to-be Premier League champions? Dreamland, absolute dreamland.

If Leeds are involved in smash and grabs, it tends to be the opposition stealing a miraculous win after having little to no chances with the Whites dominating, which is precisely what happened at the Etihad, just the other way around.

Two shots, two goals, how’s that for efficiency?

Stuart Dallas’ fantastic strike, in off the post, put us in front against the run of play just before half-time, although there was time remaining for a controversial VAR decision which saw Liam Cooper sent off.

City camped themselves in our half after the break and Ferran Torres eventually found an equaliser 14 minutes from time.

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It was attack versus defence, but United somehow had one attack left in them.

Dallas found himself through on goal and slotted past Ederson for a famous, famous win in front of an empty away end.

Fitness was pivotal, and that is down to Bielsa’s training methods. Certainly his best win in charge of Leeds so far.

Incredible stuff.

Man of the match: Stuart Dallas.

KEITH INGHAM

Maybe I should have a little more confidence in my team after the amazing, wonderful, superb win at Manchester City.

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I’d said all week that I expected nothing from Leeds’ trip to the Etihad. How wrong I, and the other YEP jurors were as Stuart Dallas scored the winner in 90 plus minutes to give the team in maroon three points with a 2-1 win.

It was against the run of play when Leeds went in front through Dallas, the midfielder hit a shot from outside the penalty area.

The effort beat Ederson and bounced off the goalpost into the net.

City’s chances were limited but then the referee gave them a lift, Liam Cooper made a challenge that left Gabriel Jesus in a heap.

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The challenge warranted a yellow but referee Marriner asked VAR to look at it and the Leeds captain was sent off.

In the second half Leeds were on the back foot as City sought to make their numerical advantage count.

They had a couple of chances before they drew level, Torres netting the equaliser with less than 20 minutes to play but a superb pass from Gjanni Alioski found Dallas and he put the ball through Ederson’s legs to give Leeds an incredible win as the clock ticked past 90 minutes.

It’s very hard to single out a single player but Kalvin Phillips stood out for his superb display in midfield but all who wore the shirt deserve credit for their performances.

Well played lads, I’m very, very proud of you all.

Man of the match: Kalvin Phillips.

ANDY RHODES

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Well, what can you say about a performance like that? It was exemplary in every way. Many will have had Leeds down for a hiding at Eastlands but once again, they’ve defied the odds.

From the minute City announced a weaker than expected starting line-up, a sense of optimism might have started to creep in. But this was still Man City.

However, they were nowhere near their best. Leeds were able to stay in the game, bide their time and score on the break.

Even with 10 men, United defended better than they have at any point this season, limiting City to long shots and aimless crosses.

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At 1-1, Leeds’ heads didn’t drop and they still looked to counter.

The plan worked perfectly and it shows how much Marcelo Bielsa’s players have bought into his philosophy.

Stuart Dallas again showed his Player of the Year credentials, while the whole squad deserves the praise it will undoubtedly get following that performance.

This was a standout result in a standout year.

Man of the match: Stuart Dallas.

MIKE GILL

Even in the modern era, even in this season’s Premier League, miracles do happen.

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This one was made all the sweeter after listening to the comments made by Rio Ferdinand and Joleon Lescott before the match.

BT Sport only redeemed themselves by having the shrewd and level-headed Lucy Ward on the commentary team.

Many people conveniently forget that when Leeds were leaking goals earlier in the season they were doing so with a makeshift defence. This Leeds side looked assured and confident in all departments as it battled to take a narrow lead against fine opponents towards the end of the first half.

Then disaster struck. Liam Cooper’s sending off was justified by the current interpretation of the rules but seemed unfair because of the elongated decision making thanks to VAR.

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When Ferran Torres scored City’s late equaliser most fans would have settled for a point.

Stuart Dallas personified the never-say-die approach of his team-mates as he grabbed the late winner.

Man of the match: The whole team.

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