Premier League: Goals, Goals, Goals Are the Norm at Elland Road

Leeds United vs Brentford

Ever since their first two games upon their Premier League return in 2020 – a 4-3 defeat followed by success by the same scoreline – there’s been an element of kamikaze football connected to Leeds United.

That may be less so under Jesse Marsch than the charismatic Marcelo Bielsa, but it’s very rare that matches involving the Yorkshire giants are dull.

Perhaps a dull, tepid 1-0 win in their next outing, against Brentford, would be ideal for the Leeds faithful rather than a series of end-to-end Premier League 2023 highlights.

After all, they are only two points above the drop zone with just three wins from 17 in all competitions.

Talking Points

By contrast, based on current positions, the Bees could be forgiven for dreaming of Europe.

They were terrific in their New Year victory over Liverpool and followed that up with a 2-0 success against Bournemouth last Saturday, a result which lifted them up to eighth spot and allow the club in a small pocket of west London to imagine European football at the GTech Community Stadium – an arena that was built less than two years ago to mark their return to the top flight.

Certainly, while Thomas Frank, his players and the club’s supporters will know that anything other than consolidating top-flight status is a bonus, if they maintain their current form – they have taken 13 points from 15 since the World Cup and continue to defy the odds – the European conversation will become a reality.

Brentford can't afford to lose the services of Ivan Toney this Premier League season — Brentford’s Ivan Toney celebrates with Christian Norgaard after their Premier League match against Bournemouth

They will certainly be in a better place if they can retain the services of Ivan Toney (he faces a long suspension if found guilty of betting allegations) who netted a penalty opener against Bournemouth – his 23^rd successful penalty in a row as he maintained his 100 per cent spot kick record for the Bees.

Twenty-four hours earlier, Leeds went down 2-1 to Aston Villa, although Marsch said it was his side’s ‘best performance’ during his 11 months in charge.

Marsch described the showing, when they created but missed several chances, as their most complete since he arrived and the second-most high-intensity running performance in the last five years of the Premier League.

There was also the boost of another encouraging display from Wilfried Gnonto and a first goal since 2021 for Patrick Bamford, who was making his return after two and a half months out with a groin injury and has had a luckless 18 months on the injury front.

Both starred as Leeds put five past Cardiff City in an FA Cup third-round replay on Wednesday night.

Last time at home in the league, they produced a showing which has summed up their campaign so far – a 2-2 draw with West Ham which contained elements of kamikaze attacking and defending.

So, what’s next? We’ll find out on Sunday afternoon but what’s the betting it won’t be straightforward.

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History

As history goes, this is as pretty much as evenly matched as it gets.

Leeds have beaten Brentford on 15 occasions, the Bees have tasted victory 13 times and a further 13 meetings have ended all square.

That included their first-ever top-flight meeting since the 1940s just over a year ago when a last-minute Bamford goal earned a 2-2 draw at Elland Road,

Their very first clash also saw them share four goals – a draw watched by a reported crowd of 23,914 in November 1935 in the then Division One.

Back to modern day and they met on the final day of last term when a last minute Jack Harrison goal confirmed Leeds’ top-flight status against their 10-man opponents.

It was a very different scenario earlier in the season, however, when Frank’s men turned on the style and scored twice in the final 10 minutes to complete a 5-2 thrashing.

It was also the game in which Toney truly made this SBOTOP observer sit up and take notice as he netted a hat-trick in under half an hour before Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa added the finishing touches. Luis Sinisterra and Marc Roca replied for Leeds.