CHAMPIONS GET BUT BIELSA AND

TO those of a certain vintage Leeds United remain pantomime villains. Ruthless executioners with a dirty streak running through them like a stick of Scarborough rock. If yesterday is any indication, that reputation is in for a serious makeover this season.

Thrilling and inventive with the ball, hugely vulnerable without it, Leeds were a riot of joy on their return to the Premier League after a 16-year absence.

They may have gone down 4-3 to the champions at Anfield via a hat-trick by Mo Salah, who spent most of the game wearing a broad grin, but their refreshingly gung-ho approach made for a wonderfully entertaining spectacle.

Whisper it quietly but Leeds of all teams could end up being the neutrals’ second-favourite side this season.

For that a big thanks must go to an Argentinian on a bucket.

Marcelo Bielsa’s singular approach to pitchside seating and football management make him one of the most intriguing figures in the top flight this season.

Maverick or madman? Joker or genius? The many sides to Bielsa, the character references from the admiring Pep Guardiola and Mauricio Pochettino and the tales which follow him around has anticipation circling him on

Leeds’s return.

He let no one down yesterday. He promised to stay true to his stylistic beliefs he insists despite the step-up from the Championship and stay true he did.

Attack was the name of the game and defence an afterthought. It was vibrant, ambitious and exhilarating.

Liverpool, surprised both by the threat they encountered and the space they enjoyed themselves, joined in the fun and the upshot was a blast. One of the iconic fixtures of English football resurrected in spectacular style.

In the end Liverpool shaded it both in chances and goals but they will pass on down the Premier League grapevine that Leeds will be a threat anywhere this season.

The away side were never going to have the possession dominance they routinely enjoyed in the second tier but they still managed 51.6 per cent of it – a majority share which is almost unheard of

TECHNICAL KLICH: Mateusz Klich stuns the Premier League champions for any visiting side at Liverpool. Their willingness to use the full width of Anfield and their unconventional movement up front stretched Liverpool in a way they rarely encountered before, which made for a testing comeback for Jordan Henderson. Even

Virgil van Dijk looked unsettled.

He certainly does not make many blunders of the type which gifted Patrick

Bamford a second equaliser for Leeds inside a crazy opening half hour.

Bielsa, who had celebrated

Jack Harrison’s first leveller, sat down on his blue bucket with a swig from a cup, was on his feet by this time.

He was still worried by his side’s actions at the other end though.

In defence of the defence it was a first outing for Robin Koch and Pascal Struijk and Liverpool offer more threats than most teams in the Premier League but Mo Salah and Co were free to come and go as they pleased.

The Egyptian thrashed his side back into the lead to give them a 3-2 half-time advantage. Leeds’ willingness to flood the Liverpool penalty area at every available opportunity brought a third equaliser from Matheuz Klich.

Liverpool spurned good chances but in the end a second penalty from Salah late on sealed it. As the final whistle went there was an embrace between Bielsa and Jurgen Klopp. As is his way, Bielsa will look forensically into this opening encounter before constructing his plan for Leeds’ next game. Please don’t change a single thing,

Marcelo.