MNF! Leeds United vs Newcastle United post match analysis
LEEDS UNITED ARE BACK!
The mighty Whites had the chance to jump to third in the table when Newcastle United visited Elland Road on MNF. Daniel Farke's men still being unbeaten after the first three league encounters, but, with a point to prove after a cup battering at Chelsea last week.
Having had a long evening on Sunday meeting the one and only Graham Holt and his lovely wife Christine, you'll have to bear with me - many Morettis were sunken here on the Italian east coast.
To digress some more, the Premier League has had a somewhat frantic start to the season, as our chief football writer; Jack Fairman has emphasised, Spurs are being all Spursy, Hull are.. actually not absolutely terrible as expected and the main jackhammers, Arsenal and City are on an early demolition job of well, every team - even if City's win at Old Trafford was smeared with a side of controversy and a VAR reduction.
Anyway to the Leeds game.. Leeds started brightest and within a minute Anton Stach split the Magpies' centre halves with a cross from the left which nearly resulted in a chance for Dominic Calvert-Lewin or Dominic Skirtman as he's better known, from a resulting corner the ball clearly bouncing off the hand of new signing Fernandez-Pardo but the referee determined it wasn't intentional - unfortunately for Leeds the VAR official from the United v City wasn't in his little hut.
Newcastle nearly had an early chance when James Trafford was looking at the cranes renovating the West Stand at Elland Road instead of Yohan Wissa steaming in and closing him down - the ball luckily bounced off Wissa and away from the goal.
Leeds showed some real energy in the first 10 minutes but were reduced to only a few sights of the goal, Ethan Ampadu having a powerful shot from the edge of the area blocked by his own teammate. James Justin also cleverly headed back to Jaden Bogle who forced a save for Lukas Hornicek.
Nico Gonzalez left the field early on due to the concussion protocol, a kick in the head can do that for you. Leeds again testing Hornicek through Bogle with a powerful effort. Approaching the half an hour mark and Leeds were looking the most likely.
The deadlock was broken just after the half an hour mark, Leeds broke with urgency, Ao Tanaka starting the attack, his ball out to Noah Okafor was returned to him on the edge of the area where Tanaka had too much time to shoot, the ball bounced off two Newcastle players and landed in the right hand corner of the goal. Lewis Miley judged to have deflected the off target effort from, Tanaka, resulting in an own goal. 1-0 Leeds.
The second came minutes later, Newcastle giving the ball away cheaply in their own half, Bogle intercepted playing the ball out to Stach, he fed Justin who delivered an inch-perfect cross onto the head of DCL who delivered, finishing into the far corner. 2-0 Leeds.
Newcastle were seriously creaking, but striker Wissa had been troubling the Leeds defence, he played in Harvey Barnes whose effort was blocked in front of Trafford.
Leeds added a third before half time, the Newcastle defence were caught on their back heels, a pass flicked into the path of DCL who was clinical, he worked his way into the area before finishing with a powerful effort. 3-0 Leeds HT - Limbs United at Elland Road - Ant, of the Geordie duo's forehead to replace James Trafford second half please; bus parking time.
Newcastle started the second half more brightly, Lewis Hall testing Trafford who comfortably saved. Leeds always looked the more likely though and the fourth came before the 60 minute mark. An Ampadu long throw caused Newcastle's defence some serious issues and the ball fell kindly to Okafor who rifled the ball in off the post to make it 4-0 Leeds.
You would have to go as far back as May 2001 to find a time when Leeds United have had a lead of this magnitude in the Premier League. It's still early days but a man can dream. Europe anyone?
76 minutes had gone on the clock when Bazoumana Touré & Wissa went through on goal, Trafford came out with an out-of-control air kick, Wissa putting the ball into an empty net, the linesman saved his blushes, another questionable officiating decision. Love you, VAR.
A flurry of changes for both sides ensued, no foreheads for goalkeepers but the game became scrappy as Newcastle looked for a consolation goal in the last 10 minutes. Gutless is how I'd describe the Geordies this evening after a positive start to the season.
The Newcastle fans went home with something to cheer late on, the ball fell to Touré inside the area and he finished well past Trafford. Sloppy from Leeds, Farke visibly annoyed at conceding. 4-1 Leeds.
Leeds pushed for a fifth late on and chances from subs Dan James and Lukas Nmecha went high and wide.
A relegation-stricken Crystal Palace are next up on the chopping block for the mighty Whites this coming Sunday. A great night at Elland Road, Leeds are third and if I'm honest; I'm a tad dizzy.
LEEDS UNITED XI
Trafford
Justin
Elvedi
Muharemovic
Bogle ?
Ampadu (C)
Tanaka
Gudmundsson
Stach
Okafor ?
Calvert-Lewin ?
Subs: Zetterer, Bard, Bijol, Longstaff, Aaronson, Wilson, James, Bahoya, Nmecha.
NEWCASTLE UNITED XI
Hornícek
Dedic
Thiaw (C)
Botman
Hall
Miley
González
Murphy
Fernandez-Pardo
Barnes
Wissa
Subs: Pope, Livramento, Schär, Bamba, Steur, Touré ?, Willock, Ramsey, Mason Miley.
Goals:
Miley OG 32'
Bogle 34'
Calvert-Lewin 45+1'
Okafor 59'
Touré 89'
FT: Leeds 4-1 Newcastle
