The #LUFC Breakfast Debate (Monday 28th October) - Leeds Left Frustrated in Bristol City Stalemate
Good Morning. It's Monday 28th October, and here are the latest headlines from Elland Road...
Leeds Left Frustrated in Bristol City Stalemate
Leeds United travelled to Ashton Gate hoping to grab three points and a place at the top of the Championship table, but a frustrating afternoon saw Bristol City’s resilience hold them to a goalless draw. The Whites pushed for a breakthrough throughout, but despite solid efforts from Willy Gnonto and Dan James, they were ultimately denied by a gritty Bristol defence and standout saves from goalkeeper Max O’Leary.
Bristol City began with intent, pressing Leeds and fashioning the first chances. But it didn’t take long for Leeds to find their rhythm, eventually dominating possession for most of the game. But Leeds struggled to capitalize on their chances, with Bristol keeper Max O’Leary at the heart of their resistance. Just after the half-hour mark, Jayden Bogle’s header hit the side netting, before O’Leary made two crucial saves to deny Gnonto and James.
The second half saw more intensity from Leeds. Gnonto seemed poised to finally break the deadlock, only for Zak Vyner to clear his goal-bound effort off the line, keeping City in the game. The introduction of Mateo Joseph gave Leeds a fresh spark, but even he couldn’t convert, sending a header just over from close range after a clever Sam Byram cross.
As the final whistle blew, Leeds were left to rue missed chances in a match that could have taken them top of the table. With two points dropped, the Whites will look to bounce back and build momentum as they keep their sights firmly set on promotion. Bristol, meanwhile, extended their unbeaten run to six games, showing that their defensive resilience, remains tough to crack.
Did Leeds miss Junior Firpo?
After witnessing Junior Firpo’s early appearances as a Leeds United player, this isn't a question many would have anticipated asking: Did Leeds miss Junior Firpo on Saturday? The Dominican has become a key cog in Daniel Farke’s style of play this season. However, after accumulating five yellow cards during the game against Watford, he was suspended for the trip to Ashton Gate, with Sam Byram stepping in at left-back.
There's no question Byram has been a sound signing for Leeds, and in fact, algorithms on several stats sites rated him as Leeds United’s best player on Saturday. However, he doesn’t bring the same intensity and directness in attack that Firpo has offered this season. This issue was compounded by the absence of the lively Largie Ramazani on the left wing, who was replaced by Manor Solomon. It’s fair to say Solomon is not yet back up to full speed following his injury.
Did Leeds feel the impact of Firpo's absence? Was the lack of attacking threat down the left side a key factor in missing that much-deserved breakthrough? With Jayden Bogle now suspended for the visit of Plymouth do you expect Byram to move over to right back or would you rather see Isaac Schmidt step in and provide that attacking threat?
Are Leeds on track for promotion?
With a point at Ashton Gate, Leeds reached 23 points and secured their position of third in the Championship table. With the likes of West Brom, Burnley and Norwich also dropping points, Leeds are very much in the pack. Leeds are just behind Daniel Farke’s target of 2 points per game but are currently 1 point ahead of this time last season and 2 points ahead of the 2019-2020 promotion season.
How do you feel about our promotion prospects now the table is taking shape. Are we on track for promotion?