Leeds United head coach Marcelo Bielsa ponders strength of Fulham in 'atypical' Premier League campaign

LEEDS UNITED head coach Marcelo Bielsa admits he is unsure what to expect from Saturday's visitors Fulham in an "atypical" season but just three months after last beating the Cottagers.
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Bielsa's Whites took a big step towards sealing promotion to the country's top flight with last season's 3-0 victory against visiting Fulham at the end of June which sent the Whites three points clear at the top of the Championship and put the fourth-placed Cottagers seven points adrift with seven games to go.

Three months later, the two sides will now lock horns at Elland Road again this weekend in Saturday's 3pm kick-off but as Premier League sides with Leeds having sealed promotion in style as Championship champions and Fulham promoted via the play-offs.

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Scott Parker's Cottagers dominated the first-half of June's Championship clash at Elland Road but still trailed to a Patrick Bamford strike at the interval and Fulham were then punished for failing to make any breakthrough as United's Gjanni Alioski and Jack Harrison also netted in the second half.

WE'LL MEET AGAIN: Leeds United head coach Marcelo Bielsa, right, and Fulham boss Scott Parker before the two sides met at Craven Cottage last December, a game which the Cottagers won 2-1. Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images.WE'LL MEET AGAIN: Leeds United head coach Marcelo Bielsa, right, and Fulham boss Scott Parker before the two sides met at Craven Cottage last December, a game which the Cottagers won 2-1. Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images.
WE'LL MEET AGAIN: Leeds United head coach Marcelo Bielsa, right, and Fulham boss Scott Parker before the two sides met at Craven Cottage last December, a game which the Cottagers won 2-1. Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images.

The Londoners have since signed new recruits including defenders Kenny Tete from Lyon and Antonee Robinson from Wigan Athletic whilst snapping up two of last season’s loanees Anthony Knockaert and Harrison Reed on permanent deals.

Bielsa, though, said he could not be sure just how strong Fulham would be this time around as part of an already delayed and shortened season in the country's ongoing battle against COVID-19 with all games still played behind closed doors.

"I don't know right know," said Bielsa, asked if he expected Fulham to be stronger than when Leeds last played them.

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"The season is very atypical. And the adaptation of the new players is surely going to take a while which is the same for everybody.

"As a result I don't know whether it is going to be the same Fulham as last season or whether any of the new players are going to play."

Fulham fell to a heavy defeat in their first game back in the Premier League last weekend as a continually evolving Arsenal side left Craven Cottage with a 3-0 victory in the first game of the new top-flight campaign last Saturday lunch-time.

Leeds then produced a fine display at defending champions Liverpool in the day's tea-time kick-off with Bielsa's Whites only finally undone by Mo Salah's 88th-minute penalty which sealed the striker a hat-trick in 4-3 victory.

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Bielsa, though, insists his players did not surpass expectations with their performance at Anfield and that in any case Saturday's clash against Fulham is a totally separate entity.

"I think that the team could have elevated their level further on certain occasions," said Bielsa, asked if Leeds had surpassed expectations at Liverpool.

"Every game is a new story, we try to correct all the things that we did badly against Liverpool and try to maintain all the good things also."

Bielsa then made 11 changes to his side for Wednesday night's second round Carabao Cup tie at home to League One outfit Hull City who should have been out of sight before Gjanni Alioski netted in the 92nd-minute in reply to a Mallik Wilks opener to take the game to penalties.

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Leeds then lost 9-8 on spot kicks and Bielsa said his side had naturally been left with contrasting emotions due to the season's first two games.

"A positive performance always gives a certain amount of optimism and a defeat generates sadness," said Bielsa.

"This week the two of those things combine."

Leeds has a fantastic story to tell - and the Yorkshire Evening Post has been rooted firmly at the heart of telling the stories of our city since 1890.

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Thank you Laura Collins

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