Bournemouth 2 Leeds United 0: James Trafford howler as toothless Whites' attacking issues continue
Report from the Vitality Stadium as Leeds United fail to score on their way to Premier League defeat.
Leeds United’s attacking issues were on show once again on Saturday as they lost 2-0 at Bournemouth. Goals either side of half-time from Evanilson and Amine Adli decided a game lacking quality at the Vitality Stadium.
Daniel Farke made two changes from the team that started at Sunderland a week prior, Daniel James getting his first Premier League start of the season while Nico Elvedi replaced Jaka Bijol in defence. Noah Okafor missed out entirely with an adductor issue reported in Saturday’s training session.
Leeds enjoyed the better start and came close in the eighth minute, James producing some brilliant wide play on the left before whipping a left-footed ball across goal. But neither Dominic Calvert-Lewin nor Harry Wilson at the back post could anticipate the wicked cross.
That fast start looked to have been rewarded a few minutes later, Calvert-Lewin getting on the end of an inch-perfect James Justin cross to bundle home from close range. But replays showed the ball bounced off goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic and struck the Leeds striker’s arm, with VAR ruling the goal out.
The disallowed goal was followed by a scrappy period of play but Leeds continued to look sharper in possession until a calamitous error on the half-hour mark from James Trafford. The goalkeeper’s attempted pass out to Ao Tanaka went straight to Justin Kluivert, who had the simple task of passing to Evanilson for an open goal.
Bournemouth improved off the back of that opener, with Leeds struggling to get a foothold back in the game. James wasted a good opportunity to counter as half-time approached, showing the pace to break free but his attempted pass to Wilson was a long way off target Wilson.
Neither side got a grip on the game during the second-half’s opening 20 minutes, with Leeds unable to create anything of note before Farke made a triple substitution. Anton Stach, Sean Longstaff and Lukas Nmecha replaced Gabriel Gudmundsson, Tanaka and James with the Whites switching to a back four.
Bournemouth had a good chance almost instantly after the changes amid some unconvincing Leeds defending. The Whites failed to clear an awkward ball despite multiple efforts before Rayan fired just wide of the far post.
Farke’s side started to force the Cherries back after those changes, with Nmecha seeing a decent shot on the turn blocked before Longstaff had a long-range strike deflect out for a corner. Two more substitutions saw Justin and Wilson replaced by Brenden Aaronson and the much-discussed Jean-Matteo Bahoya.
But despite the influx of attackers, Leeds struggled to create any real chances in what is becoming a common issue. Stach had a late opportunity to salvage something from a free-kick but ballooned his effort a long way over the crossbar, the German then hooking a left-footed effort wide from just outside the box after a good set from Bahoya.
In the end it was Marco Rose’s substitutions who had the positive effect, Adli finishing smartly after good play from Eli Junior Kroupi with Longstaff needlessly giving the ball away in a dangerous area. Defeat leaves Leeds with just one Premier League win since the opening day of the season. Next up is a return to Elland Road where they face Tottenham Hotspur next weekend.