Forshaw loses out
One of the big expectations pre-match was the return of Adam Forshaw to the starting line-up in Birmingham.
The midfielder had delivered such an impressive string of performances before his recent hamstring injury, his return to a side which had most recently lost to Newcastle United was considered academic.
As ever, Marcelo Bielsa kept fans on their toes with an unchanged line-up, despite the disappointing loss to the Magpies last time out.
Forshaw had to settle for a place on the bench and even then, he wasn’t put into play before the final knockings of a team performance which evidently impressed Bielsa.
“If he (Forshaw] were to play then one of [Daniel] James, Rodrigo, [Mateusz] Klich would have had to come out and after their performance against Newcastle, I thought they deserved to stay in the team,” said Bielsa post-match.
The pulsating draw with Aston Villa is unlikely to have lessened Bielsa’s opinion of that trio either, so Forshaw looks set for a spell on the bench until form or injury opens the door for him once more.
James and Bielsa silence some doubters
Ever since full-time in the Newcastle defeat, the Leeds United narrative has been dominated by the absence of a natural striker.
Bielsa’s animated and terse press conference on Monday showed the subject, and the comments being made by journalists and supporters, had been bubbling away in his mind for a fortnight.
An emphatic defence of James at the head of the attack was followed with the Wales International’s selection at the top of the team once more in the second city.
And, of course, like so many times before, an under-fire Leeds player repaid Bielsa’s faith and silenced some critics at the perfect time.
James was brilliant. This was exactly the kind of performance around the box which had been missed in recent weeks. The finish for the opening goal was unerring and clinical.
The same pace and work rate remained, but James looked confident and he played with a swagger.
There was another shot which cannoned off the crossbar before the decisive second goal which transformed the complexion of the game going into the break.
Bielsa would have been forgiven for smugly telling the press pack he told us so post-match, but he was typically dignified amid widespread criticism of his James selections.
“I'm very happy for him (James),” he said. “I sincerely value the contributions Dan makes to our game.
“That he scored is a lot better, but even when he doesn't score he makes contributions for our offensive game, to be profound.”
Rodrigo picks up Raphinha’s slack
By his startling high standards, Wednesday night was poor for Raphinha. Everything the Brazilian seemed to try failed or, even worse, helped the opposition.
There was one particular twist which seemed unnecessary on the edge of his own box in the second half which pushed the door wide open for Lucas Digne to create another chance.
It was strange to see Leeds score three goals away from home and have their talisman play little or no part in any of it.
It says a lot about the team-mates who have been relying on Raphinha for so much of this season too. Rodrigo stepped up big time.
The former Valencia man delivered more key passes than anyone else on the field and seemed to be at the heart of everything dangerous the visitors created.
Rodrigo popped up in pockets of space across the field, linking play, beating his man and showing the composure to make the right decisions at the right time for the team.
After the latest in a long line of disruptions to his Leeds career since arriving in 2020, Rodrigo put on arguably his best performance of the season in Birmingham.
It is always the sign of a good team when its best players can have off-days and their team-mates pick up the slack.
The table, Everton and recovering
The image of Luke Ayling and Mateusz Klich flat on their backs with their cramping legs in the air underlined the massive effort of Wednesday’s draw.
The more Bielsa liked what he saw, the longer he left his 11 starters on the field and the more demanding the effort proved to be on their aching limbs.
Everton have one day more than Leeds to rest for Saturday’s game at Goodison Park. The Toffees’ loss to Newcastle has put backs firmly against the wall for Frank Lampard’s side, for whom the honeymoon period is already over.
Saturday’s hosts will see Leeds as a must-win game because of how perilous their position in the league table continues to look.
While the visitors are not in must-win territory, the manner of that come-from-behind draw at Villa has stoked the fires. They will go to Merseyside with their tails up.
For all of the entertainment on offer last night, there was only one point to show for the team’s effort, though it was an increase that pushed the Whites level with Brentford, despite the Bees having played two games more.
In 13th, Crystal Palace are just two points better off than Leeds with one game more under their belt too.
That’s two sides nobody has described as having poor campaigns up to now. Leeds are moving in the right direction. They are closer to Southampton in 10th than Norwich City in 18th, for example.
