Brighton 2-0 Leeds United - as it happened: Marcelo Bielsa reaction and player ratings from Amex defeat

Leeds United travel to face Brighton in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon - stay up to date on our dedicated matchday blog below.
Leeds United travel to face Brighton in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon.Leeds United travel to face Brighton in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon.
Leeds United travel to face Brighton in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon.

The Whites will be looking to kick-off May with another positive result after going unbeaten in the top flight throughout the month of April.

Leeds saw wins over Sheffield United and Manchester City followed up by draws against Liverpool and Manchester United - and are now firmly safe for next season.

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Bielsa's men travel to relegation-threatened Brighton this weekend - though they do have a seven-point cushion over Fulham who head up the drop zone.

Follow every kick below from the south coast on our matchday blog right here:

LIVE BLOG - Brighton 2-0 Leeds United (RESULT)

Key Events

  • Leeds travel to face Brighton in the Premier League
  • Whites sit ninth, Seagulls are 17th
  • Kick-off at the Amex is at 3pm
  • Follow all the latest live below from the south coast

Read Marcelo Bielsa’s full post-match thoughts HERE

Read Graham Potter’s full post-match thoughts HERE

Read Jack Harrison’s post-match thoughts HERE

Read our Leeds United player ratings HERE

Read our spotlight analysis on Mateusz Klich HERE

Welcome to today’s LIVE matchday blog here on the Yorkshire Evening Post!

It’s a weekend where English football makes a stand on social media, and I’m pleased to report that we have joined what we believe to be a vitally important cause in raising awareness for online abuse.

Amid the social media boycott we’ll still be here, as always, reporting as completely normal throughout the day - you may just have to do some more searching on our website than normal!

We’ll have all the pre-match build-up, in-game updates and post-match reaction right here - so stay tuned!

Early Brighton team news

Head coach Graham Potter is set to welcome back former Leeds loanee Ben White to his squad after suspension, as his side look to pick up the points required to ensure they are plying their trade in the Premier League next term.

White missed last weekend’s 1-0 defeat to already-relegated Sheffield United at Bramall Lane following his dismissal at Chelsea for two bookable offences.

Percy Tau has missed Albion’s last two games with a hamstring complaint while Florin Andone has been out a little while longer for a similar issue.

Tau, though, has returned to training this week and there is hope he may be involved against Leeds as he builds up his fitness.

Potter, however, revealed a fresh injury doubt over influential midfielder Adam Lallana during his pre-match press conference on Thursday.

Early Leeds United team news

United will be without defender and club captain Liam Cooper, who serves the final match of a three-game ban for a straight red card.

Star winger Raphinha is also missing due to a thigh issue but attacker and record signing Rodrigo will be welcomed back after a spell on the sidelines thanks to a muscle injury.

There is another doubt over wide man Helder Costa after he limped off last week, though Bielsa remained coy over his inclusion.

Costa, though, failed to feature in the club’s final training video ahead of this afternoon’s game, which would hint at a change with Ian Poveda potentially in line for his first Premier League start.

What Graham Potter has said

“They’ve been together for a few seasons, they’re well organised and know what they’re doing,” Potter said.

“They’ve got threats all over the pitch, they can attack you down the sides, through the middle. The intensity they play at has been well documented. They play with aggression and if you don’t match that, then it’s going to be a tough afternoon.

“They have had bumps along the way, but they have stuck to their beliefs, stuck to what they think is the right thing for them. In football there are no rights or wrongs, they make the changes and they make them well and they work hard to make them work. That’s why I have a huge respect for them.”

What Marcelo Bielsa has said

“The results sometimes coincide with the performances and other times they don’t,” Bielsa said. “Brighton is a team that is unfairly in the bottom part of the table.

“All the parameters you can consider to evaluate a team, how they attack, how they defend, which place on the pitch they spend more time, the possession, the losses of the ball or keeping possession, their offensive intensity: all the values in which you can analyse, they all position them in a higher place than they currently occupy.

“It’s a team that transitions from defence to attack and attack to defence very easily. They manage the ball well.

“So these are all aspects we need to take into account to prepare ourselves. And also to look at the things we need to improve and to maintain the things that we are doing well.”

Leeds United predicted line-up

YEP XI: Meslier; Ayling, Llorente, Struijk, Alioski; Phillips; Dallas, Roberts, Harrison, Poveda; Bamford.

Radrizzani has been speaking to the Italian media

Away from today’s pre-match build-up, Leeds owner Andrea Radrizzani has been talking to the media in Italy this morning.

He chatted Bielsa, Inter Milan’s ownership and his pursuit of Antonio Conte.

Check out the interview here

Bissouma on Bielsa relationship ahead of kick-off

The Brighton midfielder was part of Bielsa’s squad during his short tenure in charge of the Lille in 2017.

“I respect him a lot, he is a super coach who has done so much in the game, but it was tough for me,” Bissouma recalls.

“I am always happy to play for my team, wherever I am needed, but this was seen as more of a longer-term role by him.

“I didn’t see myself in that position and it was something we never agreed on, so it was difficult for me although I always did my best.

“Once I played again in my more natural position, I felt more comfortable on the pitch and got stronger. But every coach has different opinions and I respect all my coaches.

“Bielsa has achieved so much and is now doing so much for Leeds.”

Our man on the ground - Graham Smyth - is in!

The YEP view from the Amex stadiumThe YEP view from the Amex stadium
The YEP view from the Amex stadium

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