Liam Cooper eyes Leeds United 'catalyst' and hails team mate after reminder from Arsenal star

Cooper knows that his Leeds team really ought to have put the lights out on Premier League leaders Arsenal's winning run in Sunday afternoon's contest at Elland Road. Instead, Bukayo Saka's lethal strike from a tight angle sealed a 1-0 victory and a 12th win from their last 13 games in all competitions for Mikel Arteta's side who are now four points clear at the top of the division.

Leeds, meanwhile, extended a run of their own but an unwanted one as Jesse Marsch's side failed to pick up a victory for the sixth game in a row. But Cooper is optimistic that is about to change ahead of Thursday night's trip to Leicester City based on United's overall excellent display against the Gunners in which United's failure to convert even one of their many chances cost them dear. England international star Saka had no such problems and Cooper admits the 21-year-old's clinical strike was a timely message and reminder of the ruthless nature of English football's top division.

"It's difficult," said United's captain to LUTV, trying to come to terms with Sunday's defeat in which Patrick Bamford missed a second half penalty as part of a display in which the striker also saw a goal disallowed. "We were in the ascendancy, I can't really remember Arsenal having too many chances and we've got to take our chances when they come and that's the level we are at.

"That's the level we are playing at. I think Bukayo's chance is even a half chance and he shows what we are up against in this league. But I'm hoping that's a catalyst to turn our season and our efforts into more points and hopefully we can do that. It's a quick turnaround and we have got a massive game now at Leicester on Thursday."

Four points separate the second-bottom Foxes and 15th-placed Leeds who weighed in with 16 attempts at goal against the Gunners compared to Arsenal's four as part of a crazy game of football at Elland Road. The dramatic scenes after just 69 seconds proved a sign of things to come as a power cut in Beeston wiped out the officials' headsets and Premier League systems, leading to a 40-minute delay due to the reset needed at Stockley Park. Both sets of players even headed back to the dressing rooms before the 2pm kick-off resumed at 2.42pm but with just two minutes on the clock.

"The delay at the start of the game, it's not ideal," said Cooper. "To be fair, I thought both teams did well and made it a very good spectacle throughout the game. I thought we deserved a lot more from the game and we are disappointed to come away with nothing again."

Cooper's side ultimately had the chances to take all three points, never mind just one, but the Whites skipper has given his complete backing to striker Bamford whose wait for a first goal of the new season goes on upon his return from last season's injury troubles.

"Jesse has been asking a lot of Pat," said Cooper. "He's had a rough year Pat has and there's nobody who works harder. Strikers have these patches of form and when we got the second penalty which then wasn't, Pat was the first one, he said ‘no I am having it’ and that's credit to him. That's the type of character we need in this team and we had that. I think everyone to a man was good and it's just heartbreaking and absolutely gutting to come away with nothing."