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Assumptions can be dangerous things. Ask Patrick Bamford. So few experts thought the Leeds striker was capable of scoring goals at the Premier League level that most expressed astonishment when Marcelo Bielsa kept faith with a forward whose return of goals hasn’t always matched the quality of his movement.
Three games in a season in which Bamford has already scored three times, such views are rapidly being revised as his 88th minute header goal in the first Premier League meeting between these teams in 26 years provoked, still a bit fanciful, suggestions that an England call should win.
It left Leeds with two league wins since returning to the top tier, but Sheffield United still awaits its first point, and the opening goal of the new season.
The Blades’ disappointing season opener was exacerbated by Sunday’s news that Jack O’Connell, a success as one of Chris Wilder’s overlapping center halves who confused the opponent last season, needs knee surgery and is expect me to be out until next fall. .
In fact, with John Egan, their central defender and anchor, suspended, there was a new look at the home baseline with Ethan Ampadu and Jack Robinson filling in for the absentees.
They experienced a kind of baptism of fire as Leeds started at a fiercely high pace with the Bielsa players swapping positions with astonishing speed. If viewer Gareth Southgate enjoyed evaluating the extent to which Kalvin Phillips shaped the competition in midfield, Wilder’s technical area body language seemed clearly tense, even agitated.
This sense of urgency perhaps began to carry over to a team that seems to have fought harder than most without the encouragement previously provided by the Bramall Lane crowd. Although Leeds continued to monopolize possession while switching, seemingly smoothly, between a back three and a back four, Sheffield United gradually began to show flashes of last season’s adrenaline, leaving Phillips and company at times unable to guess some treble one. and two. -Tap sequences of passes.
A particularly deft move preceded a magnificent reflex stop from Illan Meslier. The 20-year-old French goalkeeper from Bielsa had conceded seven goals in his previous two Premier League matches, but reacted flawlessly to deflect John Lundstram’s eight-yard shot to a post after David McGoldrick threw a cross from Ben Osborn when Lundstram delayed jumping into the box.
It’s still early, but it had all the makings of a possible salvation of the season with the look of disbelief on Wilder’s face speaking for himself. Despite Leeds’ impressive approach play, his generally disappointing final balls ensured Aaron Ramsdale hadn’t spread too far, but he too showed his reflexes thanks to a brilliant save from Stuart Dallas after a Jack Harrison pass that bisected the defense.
Lest he be overshadowed, Meslier was soon called to arms once before, doing well to turn off George Baldock after the right-back turned Harrison before throwing the ball into the top corner.
If Meslier had more than vindicated Bielsa’s faith, Robin Koch quietly impressed in the central half, making some major blocks and interceptions while demonstrating precisely why Leeds paid Freiburg £ 13 million for their stabilization services this summer.
The second half started with Ramsdale repelled Hélder Costa’s volley before denying Bamford. By now, Leeds’ initial intensity had long ago morphed into a slightly more cautious game plan with Phillips surely getting Southgate’s attention as he conjured most of his best moves.
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Bielsa’s team could have taken the lead after Dallas circled Ramsdale, but his right foot shot lacked power and Chris Basham was able to extend his own right boot and clear the line.
Meslier continued to impress, throwing himself bravely at Baldock’s feet, receiving a strong kick to the chest as the players collided and the right-back looked lucky to escape a second yellow card after an unnecessary challenge to the goalkeeper caused by his strong touch. .
Subsequently, things turned out much cleaner and more clinical at the other end, where a spin and pass from Rodgrigo, as a substitute, and Harrison’s crossover resulted in Bamford finally steering the winner beyond the reach of a Ramsdale with the wrong foot.
