Well done WELBECK!
Cruyff turn helps seal survival but where was the real Leeds?
PLAYING a team off the park, missing plenty of chances and failing to see out results — that has been the theme of the season for Graham Potter’s Brighton.
But the Seagulls broke that trend yesterday to all but guarantee survival, making Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds look damningly average in the process.
Pascal Gross put Brighton ahead with an early penalty and Danny Welbeck added a late second after a beautiful Cruyff turn to confirm the three points that took Potter’s men 10 points clear of 18th-placed Fulham.
They played slick, one-touch passing and pulled Leeds apart at will, while they showed steel to record a seventh home clean sheet this season — bettered only by Manchester City and Chelsea.
The two-goal scoreline flattered Bielsa. Brighton really should have scored more but for wasteful finishing. They will care little now.
‘The hardest thing is to put the ball into the net,’ said Potter. ‘But the way the players kept at it was good and they got the reward which is another goal and three points.
‘The turn [for Welbeck’s goal] was one of those moments where you’re sad there was not a crowd there to see it.’ Brighton started well and were ahead after 12 minutes via Gross’ penalty. Welbeck tried to manoeuvre some space in a cramped penalty area and was fouled by a clumsy Ezgjan Alioski.
Gross stepped up knowing
Brighton had missed three penalties this season, the joint-most in the league, but he left Illan Meslier no chance with a hard and low spot-kick.
Welbeck looked sharper than he has before since signing for the Seagulls last summer and continued to hustle and harry Leeds defenders.
He caught Diego Llorente in possession in the 40th minute and squared to Leandro Trossard for what seemed like an easy finish but the Belgian fired high and wide.
Maybe if it was the other way around, with natural finish er Welbeck having the shot, it would have been different. But that happened minutes later, with Trossard feeding Welbeck only for the forward to pull his effort wide.
Leeds’ only chance of the half came when Brighton’s Dan Burn headed a clearance at his own man Joel Veltman, nearly causing an embarrassing own goal that would have been perfect for a football blunders DVD.
Too many times this season Brighton have dominated matches and not got what they de served. For their fans watching at home up and down the country, it must feel like a predictable TV drama by now — and they have often not liked the ending.
But Bielsa’s men created next to nothing. Their only threat came from setpieces, though most of them were gobbled up by the commanding Robert Sanchez.
‘ We had a problem in creativity with the ball not reaching Patrick [Bamford],’ said Bielsa. ‘He could not receive the ball in positions where he can do harm.’
Ben White headed over from close range for Brighton before Neal Maupay missed another sitter. Trossard put it on a plate for the French forward, who was unmarked on the penalty spot with just Meslier to beat, but his shot was weak and rolled wide.
Potter continues to put his faith in Maupay despite just 18 goals in 70 Premier League appearances. He does more than just scoring goals — with shrewd link-up play and smart pressing — but one wonders where Brighton would be with a prolific goalscorer. But in asking questions of Maupay’s finishing ability, it was easy to forget that Brighton have a former Manchester United and England forward alongside him in Welbeck.
He confirmed the win in the 79th minute with a beautiful goal. Pascal Struijk tried to clear a bouncing ball but Welbeck picked the ball out of the sky with a Cruyff-turn to allude two defenders, before he slotted past Meslier.
Leeds boss Bielsa said: ‘Not to be relegated was our target. Every game there is an obligation to compete at that maximum level.’
BRIGHTON (4-2-3-1): Sanchez 6; White 7, Webster 7, Dunk 7, Veltman 6.5; Gross 7.5, Bissouma 7 (Mac Allister 90min); Burn 6.5, Trossard 8 (Jahanbakhsh 81); Welbeck 8.5 (Moder 90); Maupay 6.5. Booked: Trossard. Subs (not used): Steele, Connolly, Alzate, Izquierdo, Propper, Zeqiri. LEEDS UNITED ( 4-1- 4-1): Meslier 7; Ayling 6, Llorente 5 (Hernandez 79), Struijk 6, Alioski 5 (Poveda 46, 6); Koch 6.5; Dallas 6, Klich 6, Roberts 6, Harrison 5; Bamford 5 (Rodrigo 59, 6). Booked: Ayling. Subs (not used): Casilla, Berardi, Drameh, Shackleton, Jenkins, Huggins. Referee: C Kavanagh (Lancashire) 7.