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“We are not going to bed,” said Marcelo Bielsa Sky sports. “It is not a matter of vanity. It is just a matter of conviction in our style of play. It is the only way I know.”
It would be easy to sum up the subsequent 4-3 loss at Liverpool as an introduction for Leeds United to the harsh reality of the Premier League. But after such a moving display from the newly promoted team, this felt more like the Premier League introduction to Bielsa.
Three times they fell behind and three times they tied. Only Mohamed Salah’s hat-trick, his second penalty of the match, scored with a few minutes remaining, proved too much.
Still, it was the enthusiasm of the performance, their approach to the challenge before them, that stood out.
Leeds brought the game to Liverpool.
If ever there was a case of compromise, it was here. The champions at Anfield, where they had won 25 of their previous 26 and are now unbeaten in 60 Premier League games.
Former Leeds forward Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink was in the studio talking about a possible modification of the system, the need to recognize the scale of the task that awaited them in Merseyside.
The experience of Norwich, their predecessors as champions, in the first weekend of the previous season, when they were punished for being too open, was seen as instructive.
Instead, Bielsa unleashed her side of Leeds.
2:59 FREE TO SEE: Highlights of Liverpool’s victory over Leeds in the Premier League
In the first three quarters of the game, in particular, they pushed at every opportunity, throwing bodies forward. No caution, no steps backward. Even after enduring intermittent pressure at the end, Leeds finished the game with more possession.
Sometimes they went man by man, the centrals followed the forwards into the deep areas. They made 33 tackles, the most any team has done in a Premier League game since Duncan Ferguson rallied Everton in a 3-1 win over Chelsea in his first game as interim manager. It was also the most Liverpool have been tackled in a Premier League game for five seasons.
In fact, this was the most a team has faced Liverpool in a Premier League match at Anfield since Klopp took over in 2015. The German might have expected it. His players are certainly not used to it.
“You can say that Liverpool were not at their best, but they were not allowed to be at their best,” said Graeme Souness. Sky sports. “Leeds were chasing them today for much of that game. I don’t think they enjoyed the experience. Liverpool usually do that to the teams they play. They usually put teams under pressure and beat them.
“Tonight, Liverpool were beaten.”
They usually put teams under pressure and work harder than they do. Tonight, Liverpool were outmatched.
Graeme souness
Salah’s first penalty, harshly awarded after the ball bounced off Robin Koch’s knee before inadvertently striking his hand, could have intimidated Leeds. Rather, he only seemed to cheer them on as they rushed forward looking for an immediate equalizing goal.
By the time it arrived, charmingly through Jack Harrison in just the twelfth minute of the match, Jurgen Klopp’s team had already received a couple of warnings. Helder Costa annulled goal. Patrick Bamford’s one-on-one opportunity that was turned down.
At the other end, Virgil van Dijk restored the lead with a routine header from a corner, the second of Liverpool’s four goals from set pieces, a frustration for Bielsa.
But the answer was there with Bamford taking advantage of Van Dijk’s carefree defense to equalize once more. Even Salah’s impressive punch to make it 3-2 didn’t stop the flow.
“This could be 7-7,” Jamie Carragher said in a co-comment to Sky sports, and that reflected the positivity of the Leeds game. There were gaps in the back, but his willingness to search for his own vacancies made the competition fascinating.
In the final stages of the half, Leeds had seven players in Liverpool’s penalty area during open play. When Mateusz Klich found the third tie midway through the second half, he was one of five Leeds players in the area. They did not create so many opportunities, really, but with this ambition all the opportunity to create opportunities.
Ultimately, it was not enough to achieve the result, and the cruelest of the public might suggest that this was Bielsa’s managerial career in the microcosm: the great artist captivating his audience only to come out with nothing tangible to show for his efforts. .
But that wasn’t the predominant emotion after seeing this. Leeds will have easier nights than facing Liverpool and since Bielsa will surely approach those games with the same purpose that was so evident at Anfield, there are every reason to expect rewards.
The most obvious conclusion from this game is that Liverpool will have many easier nights than facing the unique challenge of Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds United frenzy.
Jurgen Klopp’s verdict on Leeds
4:35 Jurgen Klopp said Liverpool’s 4-3 win over Leeds was the best football
“I congratulated all the members of his team, what team they are,” Klopp said. Sky sports. “Unbelievable. I’ll see them quite often throughout the season.
“What a game, what an opponent, what a performance from both teams. A real show, I loved it.
“It is quite rare that you see a lot of goals in a match, we have left room to improve our defense but that is not unusual for a first match. Our players have played for their countries a few days ago so it is possible.
“The opponent forced us to make mistakes, we can do better, we will do better, but I really loved the game against a passionate and well-organized team like Leeds. We used our skills to cause problems for them, we could have scored.” more and in the end we used set pieces, which is fine for me.
“It’s not like riding a bike, you can lose something in preseason and it takes time to get back together. I’m very positive about this game. Leeds will have a good season if they can maintain that intensity and they did it in the championship with more. matches, why not? “
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