Month: May 2022

Brentford 1 – Leeds United 2 – HT 0-0

Canós (78′) — Raphinha (56’pen), Harrison (90’+4)

Assists –

Wissa (78′)

Leeds United manager Jesse Marsch said it took everything he had to keep the Elland Road club in the Premier League.

Marsch replaced much-loved Marcelo Bielsa as Leeds boss with 12 games of a troubled campaign remaining and achieved his aim of avoiding relegation with a last-day victory at Brentford.

Jack Harrison’s added-time winner removed any lingering doubts over survival, sparking scenes of celebration on the pitch, in the stands and the technical area, where the American manager lay on his back in jubilation. Please note no Leeds fans went on the pitch, considering what had gone on at other grounds recently.

Marsch said he could offer no guarantees about the future of any of his players, including England midfielder Kalvin Phillips and Brazil winger Raphinha, who opened the scoring with a well-taken second-half penalty.

Leeds started the day needing to better Burnley’s result to survive.

The result meant Leeds became the first side since Wigan in 2011 to survive after starting the final day in the bottom three.

Even after Raphinha had kept his nerve to find the net after he had been chopped down by Brentford keeper David Raya, Leeds fan still did not allow themselves to believe the escape act was on.

Canos duly brought them down to earth with his equaliser but he was booked for his celebration and then followed that up by fouling Raphinha, which wrecked Brentford’s chances of turning the game around.

Leeds’s safety was ensured when Harrison drilled home the winner.

I have to be honest, with our record against Brentford, I was really surprised with this result and that we stayed up. As mentioned above, first team in 11 years to start in the relegation zone on the last day and stay up!!

Hopefully we can keep our top players and bring some new players in, as we can’t rely on just one centre forward to score goals and don’t want to be in this position next season.

League position 17th after 38 games – After 38 games last season, Leeds were 9th.

Arsenal 2 – Leeds United 1 – HT 2-0

Nketiah (5′, 10′)  Llorente (66′)

Assists –

Martinelli (10′)   Firpo (66′)

Arsenal took a huge step towards securing Champions League football next season as they saw off an ill-disciplined Leeds United, with the 10-man visitors dropping into the Premier League relegation zone.

Leeds early capitulation was entirely of their own making, with goalkeeper Illan Meslier gifting the hosts an opener before captain Luke Ayling was sent off for a needless lunge on Gabriel Martinelli. Eddie Nketiah pounced on Meslier’s lose touch to open the scoring and then finished a swift move to double the Gunners’ lead before Ayling’s rash challenge left Leeds a man down for more than an hour

The Elland Road outfit did not have an effort on goal until Diego Llorente headed past Aaron Ramsdale in the 66th minute to tee up more of a nervy finish than anyone inside Emirates Stadium would have anticipated.

Leeds applied some late pressure, sending Meslier up for set-pieces, but the fourth-placed hosts were never seriously in danger of losing their lead and now hold a four-point lead over Tottenham in fifth.

Defeat for Leeds, coupled with Everton’s win at Leicester, means Jesse Marsch’s side slip into the bottom three with three games remaining.

You can’t keep playing with 10 players, especially with all the injuries that we have had this season. Plus our goal difference is another point against with teams around us. I think were struggle to stay up.

If we go down, it will be a battle to keep the players and come straight back up, which will not help the club at all.

League position 18th after 35 games – After 35 games last season, Leeds were 9th.