A point when they needed three
Bournemouth took their opportunity to throw down the gauntlet before their relegation rivals could even kick a ball in anger over the weekend. The Cherries set alarm bells ringing last week at Arsenal, going within a few seconds of holding the league leaders at the Emirates Stadium, and seemingly that gave them the confidence to take the game to Liverpool at the Vitality Stadium and secure a result very few saw coming.
Gary O’Neil’s side won 1-0 on the south coast to breathe fresh life into their hopes of survival. That meant Leeds were in the bottom three once more when they kicked off against Brighton and Hove Albion and they knew they needed to produce a response.
To make matters worse for the Whites, Everton hit the front against Brentford after just 35 seconds and they managed to cling onto that lead for the entire 90 minutes at Goodison Park. That meant Leeds would have needed a win to avoid finishing the day in 19th and they could now end the weekend propping up the division, if Southampton can pull off another shock against Manchester United.
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All eyes will be on Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon, with Leeds fans begrudgingly hoping to see the Red Devils do them a favour. Supporters will be keeping a keen eye on the Saints on Wednesday night, too, as they play their game in hand against Brentford at St Mary’s.
In truth, a point against Brighton is almost always seen as a good one. The Seagulls look more than capable of competing for Europe this season and holding them to a draw is certainly no mean feat.
But, in the context of the relegation battle it wasn’t enough for the Whites, who are running out of time to get the points they need on the board.
Harrison responds
Eyebrows were raised at Elland Road when Jack Harrison’s name was spotted in the starting XI to face Brighton. The winger has been performing some way short of his best in recent weeks and he has been heavily criticised as a result.
He was one of the worst on the park last week at Chelsea and he wasn’t much better at Everton, a fortnight before, with his form hitting consistent lows following the January deadline day transfer saga that saw him come within inches of joining Leicester City. As such, it was a surprise to see him preferred to Wilfried Gnonto on the left wing once more.
He had some uneasy moments during the game, losing the ball frequently in a fashion that has become alarmingly familiar of late. But, after seeing his side fall behind, he came up with the play that saw Leeds hit back.
Dispossessing Joel Veltman on the touchline, Harrison burst forward into the space before picking out Patrick Bamford in the middle and the striker saw his edge of the box effort deflected beyond Jason Steele. The former Manchester City man didn’t exactly cover himself in glory as he diverted Kaoru Mitoma’s cross into his own net in the second half, but he more than redeemed himself to rescue the point.
Wandering across the box unnoticed, Harrison was on hand to claim a short Wilfried Gnonto in space, before turning, knocking the ball onto his right and lifting it over Steele from a tight angle. In many ways it was redemption for the 26-year-old and Leeds will hope that goal can do wonders for his confidence and self-belief as he looks to get back to his best in the coming weeks.
Everyone knows what Harrison is capable of when he’s firing on all cylinders and he could be a huge figure for the Whites over the final couple of months.
Roles reversed
In recent weeks any praise Leeds have received has been centred on the performances of their defenders. Luke Ayling, Robin Koch, Max Wober and Junior Firpo have been the Whites’ star performers while those ahead of them have failed to produce the goods, drawing blanks in five of their previous seven Premier League games before the weekend.
However, it was the attack that deserved words of positivity after the game against Brighton, while the backline struggled to cope with the prowess of the Seagulls. Mitoma ran Ayling ragged all game, while Robin Koch and Max Wober failed to hit the heights they have done in recent weeks.
Leeds' forward, on the other hand, looked threatening, especially in the second half when the game opened up a little more and after working on finishing all week, Gracia was delighted to see his side score the second and third goals of his tenure so far. Both efforts required confidence to take on and they got their rewards.
The return of Bamford was big for Leeds, undoubtedly. The striker is such a key figure to what the Whites do and if he can stay fit that will be a big bonus over the remaining 12 matches of the season, as is the fitness of Rodrigo and Luis Sinisterra.
Rodrigo looked sharp, despite missing the last six weeks of action, when he entered the fray and with 12 goals to his name, his return is a valuable one. Sinisterra only got a minute or two at the end of the contest, but he has more than shown he has plenty to offer the Whites going forward.
Gracia may find himself touching wood over the coming days in the hope his attacking talent can stay fit and make the difference for him.
Another game gone
Leeds are now another week closer to the end of the season and with just 12 games to go, they’re running out of time to accumulate the points they’ll need to stay in the Premier League. The Whites could need to win as many as four or five games between now and the end of the campaign if they are to stay up and that would mean showcasing the type of form they’ve failed to find all season long.
It’s very much in their hands and Gracia has the luxury of being able to focus on his own side’s fortunes as they approach what will be a make or break month in April. But, United are edging closer and closer to the point when they'll have little room for error as the games tick away and points continue to fall by the wayside.
Literally every game between now and the end of the season is crucial and although they still have to go to the likes of Arsenal and Manchester City, they can’t be caught cold by prioritising the importance of other games over those. That starts next weekend with the trip to Wolves, who play on Sunday against Newcastle United at St James Park.
Julen Lopetegui’s side have found four wins since the turn of the year, but they’re still in the dogfight at the bottom of the division and Leeds can and should travel to the West Midlands with confidence. If Gracia's side can use the point they picked up over Brighton as a platform to build on, they could make it feel like a victory at Elland Road when they look back down the line.
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