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Before kick-off, Marcelo Bielsa declared that Leeds were caught in “a negative cycle”, but their players came up with the most convincing exit strategy.
With Patrick Bamford’s move unleashing an increasingly disoriented Newcastle, he facilitated a graceful getaway, ending a four-point streak from his previous six games. Rodrigo and Jack Harrison excelled, but along the way, Steve Bruce received another reminder of his team’s limitations.
“It was a deserved victory, we attacked a lot,” said Bielsa, with some understatement. “We handled the ball very patiently; that’s what impressed me the most “
At times, the locals monopolized with almost 75% of the possession, achieving 25 shots on goal but, initially, they had problems translating dominance into goals.
As Bruce likes to point out, teams don’t necessarily have to see too much ball to be effective and, as proof of their point, Newcastle took the lead in the 26th minute thanks to Jeff Hendrick’s first-rate volley.
Jamal Lewis fed Ryan Fraser, whose cross was thrown by Callum Wilson, leaving Hendrick to apply the finishing touch.
Bruce’s four summer transfers had combined to create what would be a fragile and highly deceptive advantage.
If Newcastle can be effective, they are still flawed too and no one was entirely surprised when Bamford tied on the rebound, heading from close behind after Rodrigo’s header after a Raphinha cross bounced off the bar. It was Bamford’s ninth goal in 13 games this season, not bad for a player who is predicted to struggle at this level.
Karl Darlow was once coveted by Bielsa and reminded the Argentine of his quality by performing wonders to repel Raphinha’s half volley and redirect Liam Cooper’s header.
Federico Fernández made a vital block to deny Rodrigo and while Newcastle thought they might have had a penalty when Cooper hit Wilson, Leeds maintained aggressive intensity.
They were up front when Rodrigo and Harrison combined in a beautiful play that ended with the former’s header.
However, not surprisingly, Bruce praised Newcastle’s resistance and they returned, Ciaran Clark encountered Fraser’s cross to go past Ilan Meslier.
Still, a bold dive from Bamford could have preceded another visitor concession before Leeds’ third goal, 12 minutes remaining, overtook Darlow for the unmarked Stuart Dallas after a cross from Mateusz Klich.
Ezgjan Alioski struck from inside the box after substitute Pablo Hernández mounted him magnificently at the end of a clever counter play before Harrison, after collecting the ball 10 yards into his own half, completed the score with a fabulous 25-yard shot to upper left corner.
“We’ve been punished for giving away bad goals,” said Bruce, who must have had trouble understanding how Leeds failed to win their previous five games here.
“We should have had a penalty, but part of our defense was what you see in a park on a Sunday. We give away the ball too cheaply, too many times.
“In areas where we could have hurt Leeds, we lost the pass too often. It’s hard to swallow. “
