by Not long ago Leeds were a retreating thorn in Leicester’s rear-view mirror but, suddenly, Daniel Farke’s second-placed side are recruiting the Championship leaders.
A gap that was once unattainable has been cut to six points. That is far too close for comfort for Enzo Maresca and his players who will head back down the M1 no doubt the curse of their inability to see out a game they were leading until substitute keeper Connor Roberts equalized for Leeds in the 80th minute.
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In the end further goals from Archie Gray and Patrick Bamford, not to mention a fine performance from Georginio Rutter, left Leicester looking very dead. It’s little wonder that an hour after the final whistle, celebratory music erupted from the home dressing room.
“I feel very proud that we were in charge for 80 minutes but very bad because we dropped points,” said Maresca, who took heart from excellent performances from Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Ricardo Pereira as he reflected on second straight win. “But with 12 games to go we are still top. We weren’t going to win this division by 10 or 15 points. The gap at the end will be tiny.”
As the thermometer dropped towards freezing point on a cold, clear night in West Yorkshire, Farke’s players looked at first to feel the heat generated by the rising expectations. For quite some time now not many home fans can be too confident of a ninth league win.
“It’s a fairytale,” said the Leeds manager. “It is precious to the mind, faith and spirit. These nights are what football is all about.”
Coventry manager Mark Robins said midfielder Tatsuhiro Sakamoto suffered a “terrible injury” during his home side’s 3-0 defeat to Preston. The 27-year-old went down heavily after a challenge from Andrew Hughes in the first half and was taken off the field on a stretcher.
Robins said: “Tatsu’s got a really, really bad injury. I’m just praying and hoping he’s going to be OK because that doesn’t look good at all. They can’t be clear, they’re talking about a pelvic injury and spine, so I hope it’s okay.”
The Coventry manager admitted his side were “bullied” from the first whistle to the last as they lost at home for the second time this season. Emil Riis headed home in the first minute and was involved with Will Keane in the 12th of the season before Bobby Thomas headed into his own net after 38 minutes.
Robins said: “We bullied. From minute one to minute 98 we were bullied. That’s what I put him down to.” PA Media
Leeds should probably have taken an early lead when Joël Piroe lifted a shot over the bar after connecting with Wilfried Gnonto’s sublime back-heel, but they struggled to cope with the speed and intensity of the visitors’ runs.
If Piroe doesn’t like those replays that showed an unmarked, and ideally positioned, Crysencio Summerville screaming at him to deliver a pass that never came before that miscue, it’s unlikely his teammates will want to watch replays for their press high blocked by Leicester. containment and counter-attack approach.
Gray started as a reverse right back but soon dropped back trying to block the progress of Stephy Mavididi. One such visit started with Illan Meslier tipping Patson Daka’s effort over the bar. From the resulting corner, perfectly delivered by Dewsbury-Hall and forward by Daka, Wout Faes headed Leicester into the lead.
Refusing to surrender, Leeds forced a ferocious pace as the game swung into the open. But to finish somehow, Gnonto could celebrate a hat-trick at half time. At one point the Italy forward ruined what promised to be a moment of magic by vaguely shifting the ball onto his left foot when a quick slide of the right boot would surely have hit Mads Hermansen.
But while it took a fine block from Jannik Vestergaard to deny Summerville and Rutter repeatedly destabilized Leicester’s defence, Maresca’s players never looked at each other.
Indeed, Leicester’s quick feet and even quicker brains continued to pose plenty of difficult questions for Leeds in the second half, with Pereira and Dewsbury-Hall increasingly conjuring inviting attacking space.
As Farke’s side temporarily lost all semblance of balance and control, Meslier saved brilliantly from Mavididi. A second goal looked set to come when Vestergaard’s corner went against the bar and Daka steered the rebound into the back of the net, but the striker saw his celebrations cut short by a controversial offside ruling.
Looking to recalibrate the balance of power, Farke brought in Bamford, Dan James and Roberts to replace Piroe, Gnonto and the increasingly vulnerable Junior Firpo. Shortly after Daka got a full-fitter after Pereira was cleverly charged, Roberts changed the situation.
After moving on from right-back, the newcomer found himself in the right place at the right time to score his first goal for Leeds, low and crisp past Hermansen after Rutter had beaten a three-marker.
Not to be outdone, Gray also registered his opening goal. Watching his beaming uncle, Eddie Gray, the 17-year-old evaded the Leicester keeper courtesy of a fine left-footed drive that took a heavy deflection off Faes before Elland Road turned ecstatic.
When Bamford’s well-placed knee headed home James’ free-kick, Maresca’s misery was unbelievably complete as Farke repeatedly pumped the air.
“I always felt Pádraig would be involved at the back and he was in the right place again,” said Farke. “It’s a natural finish, blessed with a gift.”
