Match-winner Kalvin Phillips, the Eddie Nketiah impact and back into the autos - Leeds United Talking Points

Match-winner Kalvin Phillips

Whites head coach Marcelo Bielsa had the usual decision to make as to whether to start Patrick Bamford or Eddie Nketiah in the lone striker role yet in the end it was his defensive midfielder who produced the goods to sink the Blues.

Phillips has made a very solid start to the new season - clearly highlighting why there was such interest in his services from Premier League clubs in the summer - and the 23-year-old looks better than ever in light of signing a new five-year deal with Leeds.

When asked recently what area of his game he would like to most improve next, the midfielder revealed that he hoped he would get better in the air.

Yet Saturday saw the Yorkshire Pirlo add what was actually an 11th career goal for Leeds yet a first since his bullet header to salvage a 1-1 draw at Middlesbrough last February.

Clearly now best suited to the deep lying midfield role after earlier flirtations further forward, Phillips would hardly be the first port of call in looking for goals and the midfielder admitted he didn't really know what to do or how to celebrate after scoring.

But his foray forward and strike in the 65th minute proved crucial with the Academy graduate yet again proving worth his weight in gold for his hometown club.

The Bamford or Nketiah debate

United's Arsenal loanee striker Nketiah further advertised his talents during the international break with a hat-trick for England's under-21s, after which the 20-year-old admitted he was naturally desperate to be earning regular league starts for the Whites.

As it was, Bielsa again kept the faith with Bamford who again worked hard but also squandered chances with Bielsa then calling for Nketiah at half-time in a like-for-like swap.

Nketiah looked like causing all sorts of problems and Leeds looked like they should have had a penalty and not a free-kick when the lively forward was fouled soon after the restart.

But aside from a long-range effort that was saved and a few tidy passes, Nketiah was by and large kept fairly quiet as a determined Birmingham side provided a strong second half response.

Whether Nketiah has done quite enough to now start in Tuesday night's clash at Preston North End remains to be seen with Bielsa facing another very big call, especially with the option to start both and change the system to either two upfront or play Nketiah as one of the two wide men in a front three.

Tyler Roberts - on in the 61st minute for Mateusz Klich in the no 10 role - is another player who will be giving Bielsa food for thought as a possible starter.

Back on track and into the autos

The crowd trouble witnessed at the conclusion of Saturday's contest after problems in the Birmingham end was very unsavoury but on the pitch it was a case of job done for Leeds despite a needlessly nervy conclusion.

It was a familiar story with the Whites again squandering decent goalscoring opportunities, both before Phillips' strike and after with the Blues particularly battered in a five-minute spell after Leeds' opener.

To their credit, Pep Clotet's Blues produced a strong response but really United should have been out of sight though in the end 1-0 was enough.

The quicker injury absentees Pablo Hernandez, Liam Cooper, Adam Forshaw and Jamie Shackleton get back the better but Leeds have now hauled themselves back into the top two and two points behind leaders West Brom, albeit with only four points separating second to tenth.

But the Whites now have the platform to kick on in the automatic promotion spots ahead of two tough away games at Preston and Sheffield Wednesday who respectively sit sixth and eighth.

United's centenary game proved a happy one two days after the club's 100th birthday and the task in hand is to now ensure that the club's first full season in their second century begins with life back in the Premier League.

Quite clearly, with last season in mind, the quicker Leeds can open up clear daylight back to third the better and while the forthcoming clashes at Deepdale and Hillsborough are hard assignments, United are more than capable of taking six points though as ever taking chances will be key.