Premier League football, two new Whites stars and Barry Douglas back with a bang - Leeds United Talking Points

AFTER seeing Leeds United bow out of the FA Cup with a 1-0 defeat at Arsenal, the YEP's Lee Sobot looks at a few key talking points from Monday night's clash at The Emirates.
GETTING STUCK IN: Leeds United debutante Robbie Gotts, right, and defender Gaetano Berardi challenge Arsenal's Matteo Guendouzi during Monday night's FA Cup clash at the Emirates. Photo by David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images.GETTING STUCK IN: Leeds United debutante Robbie Gotts, right, and defender Gaetano Berardi challenge Arsenal's Matteo Guendouzi during Monday night's FA Cup clash at the Emirates. Photo by David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images.
GETTING STUCK IN: Leeds United debutante Robbie Gotts, right, and defender Gaetano Berardi challenge Arsenal's Matteo Guendouzi during Monday night's FA Cup clash at the Emirates. Photo by David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images.

Arsenal might not be having a great season by their previous lofty standards but the Gunners still lined up sat tenth in the Premier League and with Mikel Arteta naming a very strong side.

Aside from the absences of goal machine Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and benched keeper Bernd Leno, the Gunners were not a million miles from full strength with Arteta making only four changes to the side that lined up in their most recent Premier League fixture against Manchester United.

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Aubameyang, Leno, Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Lucas Torreira were the only four players to drop out.

But Leeds completely bossed the first half, displaying their brilliant free-flowing, high press and attacking football that has been seen on a consistent basis in a season and a half of Championship football under Marcelo Bielsa.

In short, even Arsenal could not cope and Leeds really ought to have been at least two or three nil up at the interval given the sheer number of chances they created with not much coming back at the other end.

United's continued habit of squandering too many opportunities in front of goal remains a concern, albeit Patrick Bamford was unlucky to hit the bar and United were unfortunate to see Gunners keeper Emiliano Martínez in decent form.

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Fair play also to Arsenal for rallying strongly after the break, as was always inevitable, no doubt after a rollocking from Arteta.

But essentially Leeds more then held their own against undoubtedly one of the Premier Division's better sides - despite the absences of Pablo Hernandez, Tyler Roberts, Jamie Shackleton and Adam Forshaw through injuries with skipper Liam Cooper, Helder Costa, Kiko Casilla and Stuart Dallas also all rested and dropping to the bench.

Put simply, repeating such displays over United's remaining 20 games in the Championship really ought to be more than enough to seal an automatic promotion place given the buffer that Leeds hold too as long as they can stay relatively injury free.

It does, though, go without saying that United really must a source a replacement for recalled former Arsenal loanee Eddie Nketiah striker before the January window closes and another wing option instead of recalled former Tottenham Hotspur flyer Jack Clarke would not go amiss as well.

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Leeds are looking at an absolutely golden chance to finally go up and simply must make sure they are covered enough to see the job through.

With the Whites now out of both cups which might not be a bad thing in the circumstances, Leeds now need to keep ticking off the games one by one starting with Saturday's clash against Garry Monk's Sheffield Wednesday at Elland Road.

Fine Robbie Gotts and Illan Meslier debuts

Whites head coach Bielsa opted to make four changes to his side with Gaetano Berardi replacing skipper Cooper in defence as Barry Douglas also came in for Costa meaning Gjanni Alioski pushed up to left wing.

But all eyes were on United's two young debutantes in France under-20s goalkeeper Illan Meslier and Academy graduate Robbie Gotts as Meslier replaced Casilla with Gotts in for Dallas.

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Considering the occasion, opposition and the fact that both were making their debuts, both were outstanding with Meslier making several very good saves in the second half and unable to do much about Reiss Nelson's goal.

He looks a more than able deputy should United lose Kiko Casilla to any sort of ban over the allegations of racism.

Gotts, meanwhile, delivered what had been promised by the reports, a terrier like display in midfield in a similar style to Jamie Shackleton.

Gotts will only wish he had capped his debut with a goal with the 20-year-old scooping a decent chance over the bar as United dominated the first half.

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But Gotts can be extremely proud of his debut and after waiting patiently on the bench and his display in the middle of the park gives Bielsa another welcome headache in centre midfield.

Barry Douglas' second coming

There were several other talking points from Monday night's tie, not least whether or not United were done a disservice by referee Anthony Taylor and VAR in terms of whether Alexandre Lacazette should have walked for kicking out at Gaetano Berardi.

A special mention should also go to United's fantastic travelling support who genuinely made the game feel like a home tie especially in the first half.

But slipping somewhat under the radar, Barry Douglas produced another fantastic shift at left back having also excelled in the second half after coming on as a half-time substitute for Gjanni Alioski in the 1-1 draw at West Brom on New Year's Day.

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Douglas himself admitted in an Instagram post over New Year that 2019 had been a real challenge for the summer 2018 recruit from Wolves who has had to endure several frustrations through injuries and the process that follows.

But free-kicks specialist Douglas finished joint top of the Championship's assists charts with Wolves in 2017-18 and the 30-year-old has looked completely rejuvenated in his two outings so far this term which gives Bielsa yet another headache at left back with Gjanni Alioski also doing his best to keep a shirt either at left back or on the left wing.