Leeds United 1 West Brom 0: Whites back on top with gritty Elland Road display

Leeds United earned a hard-fought 1-0 victory over West Brom on Tuesday evening at Elland Road as Gjanni Alioski struck in the first half.
Leeds United celebrate at Elland Road.Leeds United celebrate at Elland Road.
Leeds United celebrate at Elland Road.

Marcelo Bielsa opted to start the same eleven who had fell to defeat at Charlton last weekend while long-term injury absentee Luke Ayling returned to the bench.

United started the evening the better of the two sides as Mateusz Klich tested the palms of Sam Johnstone early on.

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West Brom looked dangerous on the counter-attack and mustered their first shot of the evening following a Whites penalty claim.

Stuart Dallas shot from the edge of the box with Elland Road screaming for a handball the visitors broke away.

For more analysis on a big win for Leeds United, read our sister title The Yorkshire Post.Hal Robson-Kanu, though, saw his low effort saved by Kiko Casilla with United short of numbers in defence.

Captain Liam Cooper then hobbled from the pitch with an injury picked up off the ball with Gaetano Berardi stepping off the bench.

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Six minutes before the break and it was Leeds who broke the deadlock on a tight affair in LS11.

A lovely team goal which included Klich, Helder Costa, Jamie Shackleton and Jack Harrison was eventually finished off by Gjanni Alioski as his drilled effort struck a loose Kyle Bartley leg and found the bottom corner.

Bielsa's side really should have doubled their lead in first half injury time as Johnstone produced a lovely double save.

Bamford saw a Harrison shot fall to his feet inside the six-yard box with the Baggies stopper getting low to keep out the effort before pouncing to his feet to stop Costa on the rebound.

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Tyler Roberts replaced Shackleton at the break with the latter appearing to hold his hamstring before the interval.

It was Albion who started the brighter following the break as Matheus Pereira caused United problems.

The playmaker got free inside the box to flash a ball across the face of goal before seeing a free-kick fly inches wide of the mark.

Substitute Roberts tested Johnston with a volley in response with Klich's follow up blocked by the retreating defence.

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Casilla then kept Pereira at bay as he worked a shot on goal following another good passage of play from the visitors down the Whites right.

Slaven Bilic's men continued to dominate with Bielsa responding by introducing Ayling in place of half-time substitute Roberts.

Harrison tested Johnson from distance before substitute Zohore went close with two efforts in the final stages.

Leeds, though, held on to claim all three points in a gritty second half display to move back to the top of the Championship standings.

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Leeds United: Casilla, Dallas, White, Cooper (Berardi 20), Alioski, Phillips, Shackleton (Roberts 45 - Ayling 73), Klich, Costa, Harrison, Bamford. Subs: Miazek, Ayling, Douglas, Clarke, Nketiah.

West Brom: Johnstone, Ferguson, Ajayi, Bartley, Furlong, Livermore (c) (Edwards 83), Sawyers, Phillips (Krovinovic 62), Pereira, Diangana, Robson-Kanu (Zohore 62). Subs: Bond, O'Shea, Townsend, Edwards, Austin.

Referee: David Coote

Attendance: 34,648