Versatile Versus
Arsenal 4-2 Leeds United: One Day
Leeds are always in with a chance, and sometimes it’s infuriating, like a disobedient puppy too cute to be mad with.
Match Reports
Pirouetting Peacock
Leeds United 2-0 Crystal Palace: Out of Their League
Raphinha didn’t score, Raphinha didn’t assist. His pass completion was the worst of the Peacocks, and statistically — absurdly — none of his five attempted dribbles were ‘successful’. I guess it depends what you mean by success.
West Stand Witches
Leeds United 1-2 Everton: Whirling
Marcelo Bielsa is one manager opposing players must want sacked, bags packed, out of the Premier League. His gruelling murderball sessions are notorious, but that’s his own squad and their own business.
Class of '18
Leicester City 1-3 Leeds United: Old Spice
There was shock, in Bielsa’s first few months at Leeds, about the way he took the squad immediately to the top of the Championship. They still haven’t found their limit.
On Bended Knee
Newcastle United 1-2 Leeds United: Pattern Making
The players stuck an old Bielsa favourite on the jukebox and brought all the good times back.
Bielsa’s Leeds are bad in winter. Open your curtains: does it look like winter out there? Exactly. Now look at Leeds trying to play football against Brighton. But not for too long. See?
No Romance
Crawley Town 3-0 Leeds United: Shock O’Clock
It’s not healthy for Leeds to feel that the early rounds are inevitable, that lower league clubs are unbeatable.
When the football year begins with a humdrum defeat in line with the form book and the transfer market, it’s a reminder that this is the Premier League in 2021, where attention wanders easily from the pitch to the timeline.
Perfect Sound Forever
West Brom 0-5 Leeds United: Against Nature
Last night’s Premier League results are an embarrassment for the greatest league in the world: three 1-0s and a 0-0. Except the Leeds game. Even accounting for Burnley’s sinkhole opposition, there have been 21 goals in the Peacocks’ four festive matches. And what goals!