YEP Jury: Missed chances, a fluke goal and VAR. Just another day in the life of Leeds United

DAVID WATKINS

Predicting football results is a thankless task! You can have a good go at assessing the teams’ qualities, you can look at current form and who’s injured and you can even weigh up which team is likely to ‘want it’ most.

What you cannot factor in though is which side Lady Luck will turn out for!

There was nothing between Wolves and Leeds; the statistics just favoured the Whites but Wolves had chances denied by Illan Meslier and Leeds had chances we missed; two Liam Cooper headers and the late Helder Costa effort in particular.

Those moments were down to player skills or lack of them but the game was decided by the rub of the green.

It was cruel on Meslier that Traore’s shot rebounded off his back while Patrick Bamford was denied yet another goal by the microscopic interpretation of a VAR screen.

So, now we turn to the rearranged Southampton game. Saints will be buoyed by their point against Chelsea.

It will be another close one and it may well come down to who gets those lucky breaks; we’re due a couple!

Man of the match: Illan Meslier.

MATTHEW EVANS

Wolves became the first team to do the double over us this season and perhaps the least deserving.

Twice they have created very little in the way of chances, scored a fortunate goal and then time-wasted their way to the final whistle.

United had their chances to win the game or at least get a draw.

Raphinha’s excellent delivery gave Liam Cooper three opportunities to turn the ball tamely towards the goalkeeper, Pascal Struijk came close and Helder Costa should have lashed the ball into the net in stoppage time for an equaliser.

Patrick Bamford did lash the ball into the net but was victim to another tight VAR check that showed the Wolves defender had just about managed to run past Bamford, away from the action, to force the offside decision.

Not a fun game for a United fan but let’s just ride these fixtures to the end of this miserable season of empty stadiums and make sure we are still in the Premier League when we return.

Man of the match: Raphinha.

KEITH INGHAM

The Wolves match was similar to a lot of the games recently where Leeds played a decent game but ended up without anything to show for it.

The 1-0 reverse was a little like the earlier game at Elland Road where Leeds had the possession and plenty of chances only to leave wondering why they hadn’t at least earned a share of the points or a win.

Leeds weren’t great but they deserved something and it was a better display than the week previously but some days you simply don’t get what you deserve and Adama Traore’s winner seemed to sum up the wretched luck Leeds have had lately when his shot hit the angle of post and bar, bounced down and into the net off the unlucky United goalkeeper Illan Meslier.

Leeds face Southampton on Tuesday night hoping to halt the run of poor results that must be giving the teams below then some hope in catching them and pulling United into a relegation dogfight. Too many people think Leeds are safe but until they get another couple of wins, myself I won’t be so sure.

Man of the match: Raphinha.

JACOB STARR

Missed chances, a fluke goal and VAR. Just another day in the life of Leeds United amidst a narrow defeat at Wolves on Friday night.

One of those games where you can say ‘it just wasn’t our day’, but it really, really might have been on literally any other day.

Liam Cooper probably should have had a hat-trick, at least one of Raphinha’s deliveries ought to have been finished off by the skipper. Wolves managed a couple of passive shots from distance, until Adama Traore’s thunderous drive cannoned onto the post and off Illan Meslier’s back and into the net.

Patrick Bamford’s fine finish was flagged for offside and did look the correct decision to the naked eye. But upon a VAR review, the striker in fact appeared to be level, which is still classed as offside these days.

Another mid-table clash awaits on Tuesday as the Whites host Southampton, where we will have to be wary of the potent Danny Ings. There will be more goals than on Friday, I’m certain of that.

Man of the match: Raphinha.

MIKE GILL

Sometimes missed chances are rued at the end of a game. Both sides could point to near misses and brilliant defending. Leeds came closer but Wolves got lucky.

Football can be a cruel game and it is ironic that United’s stand-out performer – Illan Meslier – was credited with a bizarre own goal.

Admittedly the shot from Adama Traore was a cracker but when it ricocheted from the bar, it could have gone anywhere but it hit our young keeper as he was coming down from a spectacular leap.

United looked much more balanced with Ayling and Struijk in their accustomed positions and it was a performance that merited at least a point.

Tuesday brings Southampton to Elland Road.

It is another of those games that the Whites should win.

The Saints achieved a creditable draw against Chelsea on Saturday but that is their solitary point in their last six Premier League outings.

Despite their last two results, Leeds should be confident and let’s hope they take all the points.

Man of the match: Illan Meslier.

ANDY RHODES

As far as defeats go, this was about as unfortunate as they come.

This was an organised and attritional Wolves side that Nuno Espirito Santo set up perfectly.

It was a mirror image of the home game against the same opposition in November, except this time, Leeds were worth at least a point.

Liam Cooper would do well to miss two superb headed opportunities like this again, while Raphinha was unlucky not to register another assist.

It felt like Lady Luck just wasn’t with United.

The home side benefited from a rebound off the woodwork to win, while Mateusz Klich wasn’t as fortunate when he struck the post.

Leeds are in a position this season where they don’t need the luck to achieve their aims.

Premier League survival is almost guaranteed, leaving the players free to play their own game.

A few more wins would calm any lingering doubts and a result against faltering Southampton on Tuesday would be a good start.

Man of the match: Raphinha.

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