White-hot Bamford turns it on
LEEDS United manager Marcelo Bielsa is warning his players must keep their focus following their drubbing of West Brom.
Pablo Hernandez got the hosts off to a flying start, before Patrick Bamford waded in with a goal either side of the half-time break. Ezgjan Alioski rounded off the win late on as Leeds bounced back from their shock defeat to QPR.
It was Leeds’ biggest win over West Brom in 49 years and Bielsa’s biggest victory as United manager, too.
“We have to focus on our own games and not on the events elsewhere with our rivals,” said Bielsa.
“We are interested in what the others do, but our position is to focus on what we are doing. I have to praise the efforts of all the players. It was a great effort and we did not give them a second to rest.
“The attitude of the players gave us the chance to win, even if we hadn’t scored early on. This is the first time this season that every player was consistently impressive.”
Hernandez gave the hosts a dream start when he opened the scoring after 16 seconds when he found the top corner of the net from the edge of the box.
Tyler Roberts missed a great chance to double the home side’s lead when he fired straight at keeper Sam Johnstone after 12 minutes.
Kiko Casilla confidently claimed a Gareth Barry freekick seven minutes later, before Johnstone gathered Kalvin Phillips’ effort at the second attempt.
Bamford doubled the home side’s advantage after 28 minutes when he slotted home from close range after Roberts had superbly picked him out. Casilla did well to tip over a powerful Jay Rodriguez effort after 33 minutes, before Tosin Adarabioyo missed a great chance to pull a goal back when he headed wide from the resulting corner.
Albion come out fighting after the break and nearly pulled a goal back when Hal Robson-Kanu headed inches over.
However, Bamford wrapped up the points after 63 minutes when his shot left Johnstone flat-footed at his near post after a great run by Roberts carved open the defence.
Alioski added a fourth in stoppage time after he tapped home Jamie Shackleton’s perfect pass as Leeds underlined their promotion credentials in fine fashion. Frustrated West Brom boss Darren Moore felt his side never recovered from their woeful start.
“We got caught cold by the early goal and it is a hard one to take on the chin,” he said.
“Coming here to Elland Road, to play in front of a passionate crowd, is always going to be a really tough game.
“We never recovered from that early goal. We needed to show a bit more impetus and I thought the players did at the start of the second half.
“The deflected shot then went in and it is hard to come back from 3-0 behind.
“It is how we react and how we respond to conceding early as we did that I am going to have to look into.”