Leeds 0-1 Wolves: Win ‘massive result’, says defender Conor Coady

Wolves’ victory at Leeds United, which took them to sixth place in the Premier League, was a “massive result” according to defender Conor Coady.

“It was a huge result for us, we knew how difficult it would be,” he said.

“They were fantastic last season and played at 160km / h, but we stuck to our plan. It’s hard to chase them, you have to play with your brain.”

Although Leeds dominated the first half, the visitors took over from the last minute of time when Daniel Podence’s shot was stopped.

“They were very offensive, we looked at that and then we got a little bit of control in the second half,” Coady added to Sky Sports.

In just the second first-rate meeting on Elland Road between these two famous old clubs since 1981, the Lobos were well on top when Jiménez crossed the field from the right flank after 70 minutes, before going inside to shoot from the bottom. edge of the court. box.

Kalvin Phillips tried to block the Mexican’s effort, but only managed to head to the opposite corner, leaving goalkeeper Illan Meslier stranded and unable to prevent Jiménez from scoring his third goal of the season.

The Wolves thought they had scored earlier at the half when Roman Saiss lunged for a Podence cross, but after receiving guidance from VAR Michael Oliver, referee David Coote ruled him offside.

Although it was close, it was the right decision. It certainly generated far less controversy than the incident they were both involved in on Saturday when, with Oliver in charge and Coote at the Premier League headquarters, they deemed Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford unworthy of a red card afterwards. injuring Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk with a reckless challenge.

Reality check for Leeds

Leeds have enjoyed an excellent start to their first season in the top flight since 2004 and the victory would have taken them to third place, but this first loss at home since February was something of a reality check for Marcelo’s team. Bielsa.

The Argentine’s deep thinking about the game has turned the West Yorkshire team into a tactical enigma.

At different times, they may have three, four, or five players on defense, depending on whether Stuart Dallas is pushing up the left flank or Phillips is dropping deep.

And like they did in their thrilling draw with Manchester City in their last home game, Leeds enjoyed long spells of being the best team.

Luke Ayling had a shot blocked by Max Kilman and Patrick Bamford got to the center of Jack Harrison, but was unable to deflect his first effort into goal.

They came back after Jiménez broke the stalemate and Pablo Hernández had a chance to level, but the effort was blocked and with it went Leeds’ hopes of avoiding a second loss of the season.

Wolves in transition

The Wolves will be delighted with three wins in their first five games, particularly as manager Nuno is in the early stages of revolutionizing his team’s style of play, shifting them from a counter-attacking unit to one comfortable in possession.

However, with three of his new recruits on the bench, including the £ 35.6 million teenager Fabio Silva, indications are that Nuno has not settled on his preferred use of the talents at his disposal.

A first-half possession stat of 31% underscored the Wolves’ work, as did their return of zero shots on goal before Podence drove the best first-period opportunity directly at Meslier with practically the final kick before the whistle. .

Jimenez’s forward partnership with Podence will be the key to the Wolves’ hopes for progress as Nuno’s rebuilding work continues.

The Mexican remains one of the most feared forwards in the Premier League, only Harry Kane, Raheem Sterling and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang have also scored 30 goals in the top flight since the start of last season, and Podence is turning into a capable replacement for Diogo Jota.

‘They were so dynamic’ – reaction

The boss of the wolves, Nuno Espirito Santo, speaking at the BBC’s Match of the Day: “It was a good performance with some aspects to improve. We were better in the second half, but at the beginning it was very difficult for us.

“They broke us, they created chances, they were very dynamic. We had to adjust and be more clinical up front. The goal was lucky but we had chances.”

“There was a proposal for [former Arsenal manager] Arsene Wenger for offside daylight: VAR has good margins and we want them to make good decisions. It is a challenge for the referees to improve, to be better, to be faster and to let the game flow.

“Nobody likes to celebrate and then come back. The VAR can go both ways, let’s try to help and improve things together.”

Marcelo Bielsa, Leeds coach: “In the first half we should have made a difference. In the second half it was more even.

“We had the feeling that we could throw them off balance. We created enough opportunities to establish an advantage.

“I don’t think they were better than us, but they neutralized our game better. The game was very hard, very physical and there were many interruptions.”

Jiménez reaches a milestone – statistics

• Leeds suffered their first loss at home in 12 games in all competitions (W8 D3), since a 0-1 loss to Wigan in the Championship in February 2020.
• The Wolves have won four straight league games against Leeds for the first time from February 1958 to April 1960 (a run of five).
• The Wolves have won three of their first five games (L2) of a season in the top flight for the first time since 1979-80.
• This was Leeds’ first home defeat in the Premier League since April 2004 (1-2 against Portsmouth).
• Jiménez has scored 33 Premier League goals for the Lobos, 11 more than any other Steven Fletcher player, while only Joao Moutinho has more assists (14) than the Mexican (13).
• Max Kilman recorded his first goal involvement in his 14th game for the Wolves in all competitions.

Whats Next?

Leeds will play in the Premier League at Aston Villa on October 23 (20:00 BST), while Wolves host Newcastle on October 25 (16:30 GMT).