Leeds United 2 Swansea City 1: Perfect Pirlo; Jack and Gjanni's chemistry and Canaries knocked off their perch - Talking Points

Yorkshire Pirlo's best yet

Kalvin Phillips proved United's saviour in Saturday's Championship clash at Middlesbrough with his 101st-minute header salvaging Leeds a deserved point.

That made obvious headlines as part of a strong display from the midfielder who somewhat harshly blamed himself for Boro's goal, insisting he was at fault for losing goalscorer Lewis Wing.

But even the harshest of critics would have trouble picking holes in the 23-year-old's performance against Swansea which was easily one of his best ever in a United shirt.

Phillips has done very well when deployed as a centre-back by Whites head coach Marcelo Bielsa this term but the former Wortley Junior is undeniably best as a holding midfielder and Phillips bossed the midfield against the Swans, looking strong and assured throughout, full of energy and producing a potent mix of fine passes and crucial tackles.

It seems odd now to think that Phillips was an unused substitute upon his return from a three-match ban for the recent 3-1 loss at home to Norwich City which in hindsight looks the wrong call.

Adam Forshaw's knee injury has given Phillips his opportunity in his natural midfield holding role and on recent evidence Phillips needs to be one of the first names on the team sheet and also in that position.

That's not to say there is no room for Forshaw who after all has the best passing completion rate in the division but that must be surely be somewhere else in midfield and basically a choice of Forshaw or Mateusz Klich with the man they call the Yorkshire Pirlo really excelling at present and plenty of people's idea of player of the season.

Back on top and Valentine's Day love to Preston

It was pretty obvious that Saturday's draw at Boro needed backing up with a victory against the Swans with Norwich City having moved two points clear at the top of the division at the weekend and with Sheffield United, West Brom, Middlesbrough and thriving Bristol City all snapping at United's heels.

It also seemed very likely that the Canaries would continue winning ways with Wednesday night's clash at Preston North End.

Yet the unpredictable nature of the Championship continued as Alex Neil's men recorded a 3-1 victory at Deepdale and the fourth loudest cheer of the night after the noise that greeted United's goals and the full time whistle arrived when the full time score from Preston was read out over the tannoy.

United are back on top and perhaps the very fact that Norwich were so surprisingly blitzed at Preston is more significant than the one-point advantage that Leeds now hold at the top of the division though time will tell.

Less welcoming was the news that Sheffield United had beaten Middlesbrough with the Blades staying three points behind Leeds with just three points separating the top three with 14 games to go.

That will become four points covering the top four if fourth-placed West Brom win their game in hand and five points blanketing the top five if Bristol City also win their game in hand.

Incredibly tight and Leeds will find themselves third if Norwich win at Bolton on Saturday and Sheffield United beat visiting Reading - as seems likely - but United will then have a game in hand and something will have give the following weekend when Bristol City visit Norwich with the Blades also away at West Brom.

All Leeds can do is continue winning ways - as they should be more than capable of doing at home to second-bottom Bolton next weekend.

Win that and also the following Tuesday night's clash at a QPR side who have lost their last five and Leeds will be in a very healthy position for the Friday night hosting of West Brom on March 1.

The first four games in March are clearly crucial with United then travelling to Bristol City, with an Elland Road showdown against the Blades then following the Tuesday night trip to Reading.

There will be just eight games left after the Blades clash - a game rather like the Robins and Baggies matches that United can ill afford to lose but equally could start to put themselves heading out of sight with victories.

Fourteen cup finals remaining and impossible to contain the excitement with Leeds very much back on track.

Jack and Gjanni's chemistry

As well as the imperious display of the Yorkshire Pirlo, there were several other fine performances against Swansea with Pontus Jansson taking the man of the match award on his 28th birthday alongside Liam Cooper at centre-back who was almost as impressive.

Pablo Hernandez also provided some magical touches from the right flank while Kiko Casilla produced a strong display between the sticks and really deserved his first Whites clean sheet which was scuppered by Oli McBurnie's 87th-minute penalty.

But it was also impossible to not be impressed by the work of Manchester City loanee Jack Harrison and Gjanni Alioski down the left flank with the duo combining when Harrison doubled United's lead 11 minutes before the break.

Harrison arrived with a big reputation at Elland Road and the 22-year-old admitted a few weeks ago that he needed to improve and that he was yet to really reach the heights he had hoped for.

But the winger produced one of his best displays yet against the Swans and he and Alioski seem to have a natural chemistry down the left with Alioski looking a better left back than left winger of late.

That is testament to Alioski's fitness as the Macedonian simply pops up everywhere down the left and is almost playing as a left back and a left winger.

Bielsa might have a bit of a headache when left back Barry Douglas returns from injury - as well as Gaetanoi Berardi and Stuart Dallas - and all three sound close with Berardi and Dallas set to play for United's under-23s against Notts County at Guiseley tomorrow.

The duo will then play one more under-23s fixture with a a view to then returning to the first team and Bielsa has already said that both Douglas and Forshaw will be back sooner than that.

But Alioski and Harrison are producing exactly what is required at present and with an off colour Luke Ayling at least taking a step back in the right direction before his silly tackle on Joel Asoro for the late penalty, it would be a major surprise if Bielsa did not name an unchanged side for next weekend's home clash with Bolton.

Taking chances and avoiding frazzled finales

Wednesday's display deserved more goals and they will likely arrive when Patrick Bamford is 100 per cent sharp and fit and it should be remembered that the Bamford-Kemar Roofe axis is also still in its infancy.

It would have been a travesty had Swansea salvaged a draw amidst a tense finale and Leeds still need to work on putting away more chances to avoid nail-biting conclusions that the blood pressure can do without. Even Whites winger Harrison admitted the final few minutes were too close for comfort, "frazzled" as he described it.

Sixty-one per cent possession and nineteen shots at goal yielded seven on target and two goals, better than of late but still to be improved on.

But things are certianly looking good with Jack Clarke also not involved and Izzy Brown still an unused substitute, meaning options aplenty for Bielsa - even without Dan James.

The 21-year-old Swansea winger looked lively against the side he so nearly signed for in January until the Swans pulled the plug or rather didn't answer phone calls and James will surely again attract interest in the summer.

By then, Leeds will hopefully be a Premier League side.

But first and foremost comes four days off for Bielsa and his players.

Enjoy - with Bielsa now intent on taking some relaxation time and exploring the Yorkshire countryside before returning to action and seeing out 14 more games which ought to lead to then exploring a new division.

Bueno.