Leeds United stunned Southampton with a brilliant second-half display which was capped off by a 25-yard Raphinha free-kick late in the game.
The Whites managed to leapfrog Arsenal once again and regain a place in the Premier League’s top half after winning 3-0 at home to the Saints.
In a first-half laden with talking-points, but few chances, the pitch once again took a huge chunk of the spotlight for being incredibly slippery under foot.
As the game wore on, Leeds managed to get their bearings and never looked back in the second half, where goals from Patrick Bamford, Stuart Dallas and Raphinha sealed the three points.
A clean sheet was also a welcome bonus of the win for a defence that has come under a lot of scrutiny this term.
Luke Ayling’s performance, in spite of the goals conceded, have been superb and fans are loving how he’s taking to the top flight.
His joyous expression in the background when Raphinha curled in his free-kick was captured by Daniel Sheridan of the Yorkshire Evening Post on Twitter:
It sparked a great reaction from the fans who can’t help but comment on Ayling’s spirit this season…
It’s great to see the players not only delivering on the pitch, but clearly enjoying themselves in the moment too.
Ayling has been a fan-favourite from the moment he signed for the club, but he’s found a completely new dimension under Bielsa.
He’s become one of the most consistent players in the team this season and it’s a shame there’s so much depth in the England squad at right-back because that should be a genuine question for Gareth Southgate at the moment.
His expression at that moment is one of a player who knows Raphinha is about to fire that into the corner because he’s probably done it day in, day out at Thorp Arch.