It’s new year, new Leeds!
TURNS out all Leeds needed was an early winter break. Marcelo Bielsa’s side had suffered a nightmare before Christmas, shipping 14 goals in three straight defeats.
But having had their feet up for a fortnight, they got the new year off to a dream start, easing fears they could end 2022 in the Championship, a destination their opponents Burnley are hurtling towards.
At Elland Road yesterday, Leeds looked a team transformed from the one which was humbled 4-1 on their last outing here against Arsenal 15 days ago. That result came hot off the heels of a 7-0 humiliation at Manchester City, and they were at rock bottom in terms of form and squad reserves with an injury crisis crippling the club.
For Leeds, then, a Covid outbreak came at an ‘opportune time’ — as the club’s chief executive Angus Kinnear put it in his programme notes — meaning festive fixtures against Liverpool and Aston Villa were postponed. They came into this vital clash against relegation rivals Burnley feeling fresh and produced their best performance of the campaign.
‘It was a necessary victory in a game that’s very important at this stage of the season,’ said Leeds boss Bielsa. ‘I don’t ignore the situation that we are in and I also don’t ignore what my responsibilities are, and that can’t influence my state of mood.’
The emotion the usually stony-faced Bielsa showed when Daniel James sealed victory for Leeds in the 92nd minute — sharing a long hug with his assistant Pablo Quiroga — told its own story.
He had come in for fierce criticism last month and admitted himself pre-match that he had failed so far this season. There was, then, a huge relief around this result, which moved Bielsa’s side eight points clear of the drop zone.
What pleased the Argentine as much as anything was the identity of his goalscorers here.
Leeds have relied far too much this season on Raphinha, who had scored or provided half of their Premier League goals before yesterday. So to score three goals for the first time in the Premier League this term — and without the Brazilian contributing — was a nod to the quality in Bielsa’s squad.
That said, Raphinha almost made an outrageous early impact when he clipped the crossbar with a lob from just past the halfway line. But Jack Harrison was the man to grab Leeds’ opener six minutes before the break with his first league goal since making his loan move from Manchester City permanent last summer.
It came following an inexplicable error from James Tarkowski. Tasked with dealing with Diego Llorente’s long ball, the centre half’s lazy attempted pass to Matt Lowton hit the pressing Harrison, who carried the ball into the Burnley box.
Harrison’s quick feet then bamboozled Tarkowski as he created space to shoot from an acute angle. And after his initial left-footed effort was beaten away by Wayne Hennessey, he was first to react to the rebound, steering the ball back towards goal and this time beating the off-balance Clarets goalkeeper.
Burnley boss Sean Dyche knew he needed to find some spark from somewhere and brought on summer signing Maxwel Cornet at half-time for his first appearance in a month after a thigh injury.
The Ivorian made an instant impression.
Just nine minutes into the second half, Cornet won a free-kick after being hauled down by Llorente. And he stepped up to sweep in the set-piece from 30 yards, beating the dive of Illan Meslier.
This time Bielsa was the manager to act, bringing on 19-year-old striker Joe Gelhardt for Tyler Roberts, and James for Harrison.
The double substitution changed the momentum of the match and — after Raphinha missed a sitter at the back post from James’ cross — Leeds retook the lead with 13 minutes to go.
Mateusz Klich and Raphinha worked a short corner to Stuart Dallas on the edge of the box and the Northern Irishman superbly swept it in first time on his 250th appearance for the club.
Any lingering nerves around Elland Road were then put to bed in injury time when Gelhardt crossed for James and the winger’s downward header was parried by Hennessey, who then watched the ball trickle in behind him.
This defeat for Burnley leaves them two points behind fourth-bottom Watford with just one win all season. The Clarets have a game in hand but are about to lose their six-goal top scorer Cornet to the Africa Cup of Nations.
‘I have never lost belief in these players, and I won’t do,’ insisted Dyche. ‘The pride I have in them is enormous.
‘You can’t just look at Maxwel. Before we had Maxwel we had players who kept us in the Premier League. We have to make sure we perform without him when he goes away.’ LEEDS UNITED (3-3-3-1): Meslier 6.5; Ayling 7, Llorente 6.5, Koch 6.5; DALLAS 8, Forshaw 7.5, Firpo 7; Raphinha 7, Klich 6, Harrison 7.5 (James 62min, 7.5); Roberts 6 (Gelhardt 58, 7.5). Scorers: Harrison 39, Dallas 77, James 90+2. Booked: Roberts, Llorente. Manager: Marcelo Bielsa 8. BURNLEY (4-4-2): Hennessey 5; Lowton 5.5, Tarkowski 4.5, Mee 5.5, Taylor 6.5; McNeil 5.5, Westwood 6, Cork 6, Gudmundsson 5.5 (Cornet 46, 7.5); Lennon 5.5 (Rodriguez 80), Wood 6 (Vydra 84). Scorer: Cornet 54. Booked: Tarkowski. Manager: Sean Dyche 6. Referee: Paul Tierney 5.
Attendance: 36,083.