Leeds United 5-2 Newcastle United
Leeds United finally broke their Elland Road hoodoo with a dominating performance against their visitors Newcastle United last Wednesday evening.
The newly-promoted Premier League side let out a flurry of goals in the late stages of the match, which was much needed considering this game went back-and-forth for almost the whole night.
Marcelo Bielsa’s men saw their early advantage disappear after the Magpies mounted a comeback with Ciaran Clark scoring the equaliser, but fatigue set in for the visitors and the hosts quickly took advantage.
Newcastle United’s backline, in particular, faltered, which left team manager Steve Bruce fuming about his wards’ efforts during the postgame interview.
He likened the Magpies’ defence as “something you see on the park on a Sunday” as they conceded three goals in just a span of 13 minutes.
My fellow SBOTOP writer predicted that this would be a low-scoring affair according to the Premier League 2020 odds, but it simply wasn’t the case on this one.
From the moment that Jeff Hendrick and Patrick Bamford exchanged goals within just 10 minutes in the first half, the tension and fireworks continued to mount all the way until the final whistle sounded.
With the victory, Leeds United not only snapped the Magpies’ two-game winning streak, but they also moved up to 13th place of the Premier League table as they leapfrogged the visitors despite being level with 17 points apiece.
Today, let us recap last night’s thrilling affair with this set of Premier League 2020 highlights.
Highlights of the game
Fresh from a tough loss against West Ham United in the last time out, Marcelo Bielsa stuck to his guns as he fielded in the same starting XI.
Leeds United should be commended for their topnotch fitness levels as they finally secured their second Premier League of the season.
The Whites played their usual possession-heavy game, but they had to work so hard in order to earn their goals for the night.
It seemed like history was repeating itself for the Whites as the Magpies drew first blood during the 25th minute when Ryan Fraser’s cross found a cutting Jeff Hendrick for the easy finish.
But 10 minutes later, Leeds United would draw level when Patrick Bamford came out of nowhere and headed the ball in after Rodrigo Moreno’s attempt bounced off the crossbar.
Fast forward to the second half, Rodrigo Moreno claimed the lead for Leeds United when his header found the back of the net after a wonderful cross by Jack Harrison during the 61st minute.
However, the Magpies wouldn’t go away easily as Ciaran Clark scored their second goal of the evening after being on the receiving end of a corner kick four minutes later.
With Leeds United continuing to control possession, they slowly but surely exploited Newcastle United’s fatigue as they finally turned their chances into more goals.
Sean Longstaff was pickpocketed by the Whites in the 71st minute, and the Magpies’ backline couldn’t recover fast enough when Stuart Dallas broke the deadlock after a pass from Mateusz Klich.
The Whites would rush down on the attack 14 minutes later, and super-sub Pablo Hernandez teed up Ezgjan Alioski for their fourth goal of the night.
Jack Harrison would put the icing on the cake to cap off Leeds United’s masterful performance with a screamer from outside the penalty area in the 88th minute.
Key statistics
This game marked the first time since May 2001 where Leeds United scored at least five goals.
Newcastle United conceded five goals in the Premier League fixture against the newly-promoted side for the first time since 1958.
Patrick Bamford became the all-time leading scorer in Marcelo Bielsa’s managerial career with his 35th goal last night, leapfrogging Fernando Llorente.
Jack Harrison leads Leeds United in playmaking since the start of last season with 12 assists so far.
Pablo Hernandez came off the bench and provided big minutes for the Whites as he became the oldest player in club history (35 years, 249 days) to notch two assists in a Premier League game since 1993.
Callum Wilson’s impact for the Magpies cannot be overlooked as he has been directly involved in 10 goals in his 11 Premier League appearances this term.
What’s next?
Leeds United will visit fierce rivals Manchester United at Old Trafford this Sunday in a much-awaited clash.
On the other hand, Newcastle United will host Fulham on Saturday as they try to build a new winning streak.
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