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Season 2020-21
Leeds United (h) Premier League

 

 
Date:
Tuesday 26th January 2021, 6.00pm.
Live on BT Sport


Venue:
 St. James' Park

Conditions: Insufficient



 

Newcastle

Leeds United

1 - 2

 

Teams

Goals

17 mins A throw-in directed at Jacob Murphy inside the Leeds half in front of the East Stand saw him stumble and lose possession to Ezgjan Alioski, who passed to Patrick Bamford.

He strode forward and played it right to Rodrigo who pulled a pass back to Raphinha
on the edge of the box. With Jamal Lewis in his vicinity but failing to chase him down, the Brazilian took a touch before smoothly dispatching the ball beyond Karl Darlow into the far corner. 0-1

Half time: Magpies 0 Whites 1

57 mins Jamaal Lascelles regained possession outside the visitor's box and a passing combination between Jonjo Shelvey and Callum Wilson led to Miguel Almiron forcing the ball past Illan Meslier at the Gallowgate End. 1-1


Almiron's celebration referenced the fact his lass is pregnant

61 mins Raphinha played in Jack Harrison on the left side of the area, and his first-time effort flew beyond Karl Darlow. 1-2

Full time: Magpies 1 Whites 2

We Said

Steve Bruce said:

"We were rocked in the first half with the goal we unfortunately gifted to them.

"It was tough going in the first half, but we tweaked a few things and I was pleased with the second half. We were a threat, had some glorious chances.

"We gave our best performance in a few months, were unlucky and didn't deserve to lose. I feel for the players, when you're up against it you need something to fall for you, but the performance was much better and gave us something to fall back on.

"I saw a little bit at Aston Villa, and certainly saw enough today, if we keep well and stay healthy in certain areas, then we'll be fine.

"We've had an awful time, there is no disputing that, but I have seen enough to see that we can build a bit of confidence.

"That's the best we've played in weeks. It was good to see the forward players on the pitch to make that possible for us. What a difference if we keep Ryan Fraser right - and Miguel Almiron - then we know we are going to be a threat.

"We had 20-odd shots, we hit the bar and we were unfortunate we didn't score more but we have to go back again tomorrow and get ready for the weekend."

They Said

 

The Argentinean Oor Wullie commented:

"
We expected a difficult game. We didn’t manage the game badly, but there were 20 minutes after we scored, through Harrison, where it was difficult for us to control the game.

"After, we managed to regain the dominance in the last five minutes, but after the Harrison goal, there was 20 minutes where Newcastle could have drawn the game.

"To score is always important in any game. Today (Jack) Harrison managed to unbalance the game in our favour. For us, it was a game that we needed to win.

"On the whole, we created more chances than they did throughout the game. But it is true that in the final 20 minutes they managed to create some chances via corners.

"There was a moment in the game where
(Kalvin) Phillips had to defend lower down the pitch than he had been doing so. (Mat) Klich also had to defend more deep, Tyler (Roberts) and Rodrigo as well. And we stopped counting on Stuart Dallas in the midfield as he started playing as a left-back.

The moment where we most had to defend we couldn't do it with Phillips and Dallas in the centre of the pitch and Rodrigo, Tyler and Klich had many offensive functions. They are players who are primarily more creative. The changes had run out and I didn't find a way to make the midfield stronger.

"From the two changes in the second half, the entrance of Tyler and Klich were to try and win the game but very quickly we had to defend more than we had been having to do so and you could notice this.

"It was very difficult but we managed to do it. It was very important for us to win, the majority of teams go on runs similar to the one we have had, but this was longer and difficult.

"The quicker you get off one of these runs the better."

 

Stats


Newcastle have now failed to win any of their last nine PL games, taking just two points from a possible 27. They have scored just twice in their last nine games and failed to find the net in the first half of the last ten.

Steve Bruce has now emulated Rafa Benitez in presiding over an 11 game winless run in all competitions - the Spaniard's sequence coming during the first four months of the 2018/19 season.

However Benitez never lost five successive PL games like Bruce now has. The dubious accolade of the last Magpies boss to do that was John Carver, losing eight in a row between March and May 2015 - but avoiding relegation.

During this current 11 game winless win, Newcastle have had their noses in front just once - leading 1-0 at Leeds for 10 minutes.

Miguel Almiron netted his third goal of the season and second in the PL. He now has 11 for the club in all competitions, including six in the PL - that latter figure drawing him level with current team mates Fabian Schar and Jamaal Lascelles plus former Mags including Joey Barton and David Ginola.

Leeds completing a seasonal double over Newcastle for the first time in the PL. They last achieved the feat in the Division One season of 1975/76.

This isn't the first time that Manchester City loanee Harrison and Almiron have scored in the same game - Miggy grabbing two for Atlanta during a 3-1 home win in the MLS over New York City in 2017. Harrison scored for NYC.

Leeds @ SJP - last 20 visits:

2020/21 lost 1-2 Almiron (PL)
2016/17
drew 1-1 Lascelles (Ch)
2013/14 won 2-0 Cisse, Gouffran (LC)
2009/10 drew 0-0 (FR)
2003/04 won 1-0 Shearer (PL)
2002/03 lost 0-2 (PL)
2001/02 won 3-1 OG, Dyer, Bellamy (PL)
2000/01 won 2-1 Solano, Acuna (PL)
1999/00 drew 2-2 Shearer 2 (PL)
1998/99 lost 0-3 (PL)
1997/98 drew 1-1 Ketsbaia (PL)
1996/97 won 3-0 Shearer 2, Ferdinand (PL)
1995/96 won 2-1 Lee Beardsley (PL)
1994/95 lost 1-2 Elliott (PL)
1993/94 drew 1-1 Cole (PL)
1989/90 won 5-2 Quinn 4, Gallacher (D2)
1983/84 won 1-0 OG (D2)
1982/83 won 2-1 Waddle, Keegan(pen) (D2)
1982/83 lost 1-4 Clarke (LC)
1980/81 drew 2-2 Davies, Rafferty (FR)

Newcastle made just two changes from the side beaten at Aston Villa, with Fraser replacing Andy Carroll and Murphy coming in for Javier Manquillo.

The defence again had a makeshift feel, Federico Fernandez and Ciaran Clark unfit and DeAndre Yedlin still sidelined due to a paperwork issue. That saw Isaac Hayden again forced to play in defence - this time at right back or a third central defender depending on your interpretation.

Sean Longstaff was again omitted from the squad but not injured - adding further fuel to rumours of a recent bust-up with Bruce.

 

Waffle

A first goal in 455 minutes may have raised spirits on Tuesday, but harsh reality rapidly returned for a Newcastle side now winless in 11 games.

Leeds arrived on Tyneside winless and scoreless in their last three games, but made light of an early enforced reshuffle only required a moderate exertion to take a 17th minute lead through Raphinha and deservedly go in ahead at half time - the same player also having hit a post from close in on 42 minutes.

The same Magpies line-up emerged for the second period, but a long-overdue injection of intensity and controlled aggression saw them threaten to make a game of it - and draw level 12 minutes after the restart.

Isaac Hayden's intervention regained possession outside the visitor's box and a passing combination involving Jonjo Shelvey and Callum Wilson led to Miguel Almiron forcing the ball past Illan Meslier at the Gallowgate End.

The Paraguayan had been pushed upfield towards Wilson after a first half ploy of playing the return Ryan Fraser in an advanced role hadn't paid dividends (aside from one perceptive centre that Jacob Murphy should have exploited).

Just 238 seconds after being pegged back though, the visitors had retaken the lead when Raphinha played in Jack Harrison on the left side of the area, and his first-time effort flew beyond the helpless Karl Darlow.

Again Newcastle tried to respond, forcing a series of corners and actually managing to find their own men from them for once - although free kicks remained hopeless and brainless in equal measure.

And almost uniquely for this season, the Magpies managed to dominate possession statistics - indicative that we were emerging from hibernation, or belatedly waking up to the clear and present danger of relegation. It's also worth recording that Leeds were all over the place at the back, as befits a side who have the leakiest defence away from home in the division.

After Jamal Lewis fired over from an excellent position however, Meslier was equal to Shelvey's 76th minute header and Fabian Schar's shot five minutes later. We've won matches this season while spending less time in opposition penalty areas than we did tonight, but you don't get any points for that...

The introduction of Allan Saint-Maximin had the dual effect of inspiring his own colleagues and putting the wind up the opposition, who could only keep him at bay via illegal means, even when doubling up.

Having failed to do it in successive halves here yet again though, it remains to be seen which Newcastle turns up at Goodison Park on Saturday.

Seeing encouraging signs in the defeat at Villa that few others did, Bruce was doubtless boosted by his side's second half revival - but only he can answer why they were so passive and jittery in the first half.

For the coach to claim any credit from this game is proof positive of his continual ineptness. For the eleventh time in succession, he picked a side that at no point in the entire game was winning, or ever looked like going ahead. Nowhere else would that be tolerated.

If it takes going a goal down to trigger any sort of a response then our fate is sealed - or at least dependent on the misdeeds of sides around us.

That's a very risky game, as we've found out before to our cost on two occasions under this owner - not to mention another pair of near-misses.

Biffa
 


Page last updated 21 June, 2021