‘Another season of this would be most welcome’ – YEP Jury on Leeds United 3 Tottenham Hotspur 1
DAVID WATKINS
Wow! This Leeds United team is unfathomable, in fact it’s about as unfathomable as its manager, Marcelo Bielsa.
With Kalvin Phillips and Raphinha available and on the back of the poorest performance of the season Marcelo Bielsa opted to put out exactly the same team!
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Hide AdI presume that was to show the world that Brighton was a one-off, that our team is better than that, and that Bielsa had the ultimate faith, knew in fact, that was the case.
And so this week the same team is absolutely amazing!
We dominated Spurs and forced their keeper into three top-class saves as well as putting three into the back of their net. Gjanni Alioski and Jack Harrison were so poor in every respect last week and yet against Spurs they were top quality.
It was a thoroughly satisfying performance and another win against one of the rebel Super League clubs makes it doubly satisfying.
Quite what this side can achieve next season with a couple more top quality players and Marcelo’s signature on another contract is a tantalising prospect.
Man of the match (and season): Stuart Dallas
MATTHEW EVANS
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Hide AdThis was one of the best performances of the season against a Spurs side that was packed full with big names but without anywhere near the same energy of the Leeds side they were facing.
Unlike Brighton away the week before, you could tell from kick off that United were up for the game and our passing was crisp and adventurous. In the opposition ranks, their full-backs looked petrified and Gareth Bale, in particular, looked like he could not care less about the outcome of the game.
It would take months of training to get him anywhere near fit enough for a Bielsa team.
It’s very difficult to pick a Leeds man of the match with Bamford back on the scoresheet, the recovering Raphinha and Rodrigo back on the pitch to combine for a third goal and great performances across the back five. I’m giving the nod to Stuart Dallas who looks like he’s enjoying his football more than any Leeds United player I can remember for about a decade.
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Hide AdThe way he thumped the opening goal into the South Stand end net set the tone for how serious we were and, in the end, it was very well deserved.
Man of the match: Stuart Dallas.
KEITH INGHAM
Leeds produced one of their best performances of the season, especially at home to beat Spurs 3-1 at Elland Road. The victory kept the Whites in the top 10 of the Premier League.
A superb move down the left ended with the ball in the Spurs penalty area. The ball was directed towards the Tottenham goal by Sergio Reguilon. Hugo Lloris superbly saved it but it fell to Stuart Dallas who blasted Leeds ahead on 13 minutes.
Spurs were level before the half-hour mark when Son Heung-min beat Illan Meslier after they cut through the Leeds defence.
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Hide AdBoth teams had chances but it was Leeds who went ahead just before the break. Gjanni Alioski burst into the penalty area and gave Patrick Bamford the easiest chance to score.
Rodrigo replaced the hard-working Bamford with around 10 minutes to go and he quickly put Leeds 3-1 up.
Sub Raphinha raced away from the Spurs defence and found the Spanish international who cooly beat Lloris with six minutes to go. If Elland Road had been full, the ground would have erupted.
It’s very, very hard to single out a single player because the defence was so solid. Apart from the Son goal, the midfield was industrious with Matuesz Klich, Dallas and Robin Koch upstaging their counterparts and Bamford getting his goal after a barren run.
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Hide AdBut my man of the match was Jack Harrison. He gave Serge Aurier a torrid afternoon and deserved a goal for his efforts.
Man of the match: Jack Harrison.
JACOB STARR
From one of the worst performances of the season last week, to one of the best this week, a resounding 3-1 victory against Tottenham means Leeds United are unbeaten at home against all the ‘big-six’ sides. This feat has not been achieved by a newly-promoted team since the 2009/10 campaign.
A neutral would have thought the Whites were the side pushing for a top-four position, with Marcelo Bielsa’s men coming out on top in every department.
The aspect which Leeds were most superior in was out wide, with Gjanni Alioski and Jack Harrison pairing up well to run Serge Aurier ragged, whilst Spurs winger Gareth Bale was taken off, having had little impact.
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Hide AdIt was a huge boost to have Raphinha and Kalvin Phillips return from the bench, with the former setting up Rodrigo for the killer goal late on.
To be honest, though, both players may have to be patient getting back into the starting line-up, especially after Robin Koch’s faultless display in midfield.
Whenever there have been questions asked of Leeds this season, none more so after the Brighton game, they have more often than not been answered.
Man of the match: Gjanni Alioski.
MIKE GILL
After plumbing the depths against Brighton, United bounced back with style against Spurs. Phillips and Raphinha were available for selection but neither of them started.
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Hide AdNevertheless, from the kick-off, Leeds looked a different side. They were fresher, sharper and fitter than their highly rated opponents.
Jack Harrison sent in a killer cross which Sergio Reguilon almost turned into his own net. Hugo Lloris somehow parried the ball out but Stuart Dallas smashed the ball into the roof of the net. Dallas, Harrison and Gjanni Alioski later combined to set Patrick Bamford up for a centre forward’s goal after Son Heung-min had put Spurs level.
Kane had a goal disallowed by the narrowest of margins but every team suffers these decisions over the course of a season. The icing was added to the cake by a sweet move culminating in a goal by Rodrigo after Raphinha had sprinted clear of the tiring Spurs defenders.
Amazingly Robin Koch played so well that Kalvin Phillips was not required until he appeared, all smiles in the 90th minute.
Man of the match: Jack Harrison.
ANDY RHODES
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Hide AdAfter eye-catching performances against the rest of the so-called “big six”, Spurs were hoping to buck the trend with European football next season on the line.
In truth, only one of the two sides looked like a seasoned European side. Leeds looked like a side full of energy and ideas, while Tottenham looked like they were already on the beach.
Playing a makeshift side due to injury, Leeds stepped up and looked sharper from the get-go. Jack Harrison was dangerous all afternoon, while Mateusz Klich was back to his best in midfield.
Stuart Dallas continues to impress at this level, while Robin Koch was the perfect replacement for Kalvin Phillips who, in reality, Leeds didn’t miss. Raphinha looked sharp on his return from injury while Rodrigo also pitched in when required.
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Hide AdOn the whole, it was a complete performance from a side fully deserving of the praise they are receiving from pundits and fans alike.
Another season of this would be most welcome.
Man of the match: Robin Koch.
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