Leeds United kids’ day to cherish, £25m man's bad day, grim gum game and off-camera Bees moments

Here’s the YEP take on who had a good day, who did not and the moments you might have missed.

Good day

Max Wober

Yet to concede as a Leeds United player, the new boy has quickly settled in and won over many fans. Against Brentford he was physical, he organised, he got on the ball and seemed quite at ease playing next to Robin Koch. It was as impressive a full debut as a centre-back could hope for.

Tyler Adams

At this stage there’s little argument over just which of Leeds’ summer signings was the best decision. Marc Roca has been good this season, albeit with a little wobble in form more recently, but Adams has been superb. Even against Brentford when he wasn’t at his absolute best, he was so effective for the Whites. A hugely important player.

Bad day

Brenden Aaronson

Jesse Marsch felt the youngster had one of his best games, but it’s hard to agree. He pressed, he ran around and there were moments when he wriggled away from players to go on the attack but it never really led to anything. He’s getting physically battered in many games, but he’s also throwing himself to the ground in search of free-kicks that aren’t always nailed on. At this stage perhaps a spell on the bench and some substitute cameos would be in order, to take him out of the line of fire a little.

Georginio Rutter

He was champing at the bit to make his debut for Leeds but as Sam Greenwood was called back to the bench it was clear that the record signing would have to wait a little longer. Perhaps he’ll be unleashed in the FA Cup. What a welcome to English football Accrington Stanley or Borehamwood could give him.

Jesse Marsch

Another game that left the head coach feeling positive and talking up the momentum and progression of his team, but also another game that went by without the arrival of three points. Being on top, at home, for that much time should have led to a higher number of chances and a win.

Off camera

Sam Greenwood made a youngster's 2023 with an invite onto the Elland Road turf for some pre-game shooting practice, watched by Joe Gelhardt. For the youngster, named as Cody on the player’s social media account, the chance to join his heroes on the pitch was evidently a dream come true. While that was going on, Illan Meslier and Bryan Mbeumo, former France Under 21s team-mates, caught up on the pitch as the two teams arrived at the ground to inspect the playing surface.

Tony Dorigo and Dominic Matteo remain popular figures around the club due to their service as players, but for once the famous faces did not work as passes and the pair had to convince a steward to let them through in the West Stand.

When the sides were in the tunnel prior to kick-off and players were either greeting rivals or focusing on what lay ahead, a pair of Leeds mascots shared a look of awe and wonder, one indicating to the other with his thumb that Illan Meslier was stood right there next to him.

Just before Peter Bankes blew his whistle to start the game Ivan Toney gave Elland Road a reminder of that grim game Leeds players used to play when they arrived at the ground. The game was to keep someone’s chewing gum in the air, using kicks and flicks, before the chewer would catch it in their mouths. Toney did just that, spitting it out, volleying it high into the air above him and catching it in his mouth.

Toney was quickly into the action and a key figure in Brentford’s plan to play on the break. Early in the first half he shaped to take a quick long throw and Leeds boss Jesse Marsch waved a hand in the air in an apparent attempt to prevent the throw. Mercifully for him, he made no contact. Shortly after the head coach gathered the ball when it rolled out of play and then dropped it a little short for Ben Mee, who gave Marsch his best withering look.

There were fun and games going the other way too. Meslier cleared a goal-kick straight into touch over the head of Luke Ayling, who gave him the thumbs up and then responded to something said from the Brentford bench. If you watch Ayling closely during a game, you’ll always spot at least a couple of conversations with the opposition, whether that’s players or coaching staff. He’s often smiling so you can only presume it’s pleasantries.

The half-time break afforded Rasmus Kristensen, a Leeds substitute, an opportunity to engage in a lengthy cuddle with Danish team-mate Mathias Jensen in the tunnel just before the second half began. Christian Nørgaard received a much more formal greeting, as Meslier shared a joke with French-born DR Congo international Yoane Wissa.

As the substitutes board went up in the second half, Willy Gnonto wore an anguished look on his face, evidently desperate not to be the man coming off. He wasn’t. Rodrigo was, and he stared hard at the board, possibly hoping he was misreading it or it would change. Leeds were so on top that the attackers all wanted to stay on and have another 20 minutes against Brentford.

At full-time Gnonto went straight to the fans behind the goal in the Don Revie stand to give away his shirt. Pascal Struijk, meanwhile, wanted to know where Patrick Bamford was when he headed down a last-gasp free-kick in the box. His downward header went into a great area, but there were no white shirts in it. Bamford appeared to be explaining that his run was blocked off.