Leeds United were defeated 1-0 by Chelsea on Saturday afternoon at Stamford Bridge.
The Whites were defeated by their bitter rivals due to a header from Chelsea centre-back Wesley Fofana from a second-half corner.
Javi Gracia‘s side struggled to create many attacking moments of their own throughout the game, with forays into Chelsea’s half rarely coming to anything meaningful.
Leeds remain 17th in the Premier League after the conclusion of the weekend’s fixtures, but their position is still precarious as they are only one point off the bottom of the table currently.
Here, we take a look at ONE winner and ONE loser at Leeds United following the defeat to the Blues.
Time for Leeds to drop Jack Harrison?
Harrison’s days starting for Leeds look to be numbered, especially after the performance at the Bridge.
The 26-year-old has always been a streaky player during his time with Leeds. He often plays well for a few games before dipping into a bad spell of form again.
He was frustrating for Leeds fans on Saturday. The winger was running down blind alleys or cheaply presenting the ball back to Chelsea in good attacking positions.
Harrison must be under pressure to be dropped now, with a few poor performances in a row. Leeds also have attacking depth out wide, which makes the decision for Gracia to bench him potentially an easier one.
Quiz: Did the following 15 players play for both Leeds United and Chelsea?
Leeds need to recall Marc Roca
Despite not playing a minute against Chelsea, Roca is an obvious winner in Leeds’ current position.
The Whites’ midfield control and ball progression has gone out of the window when Roca hasn’t played, and that has been evident more than ever in recent weeks.
Despite the defeat to Fulham midweek, Leeds kept the ball well and it is no surprise when the Spaniard is involved. He offers control, stability, and an eye for a pass that none of Leeds’ other midfield options have in deeper areas.
Tyler Adams and Weston McKennie give Leeds much more physicality, aggression, and mobility in midfield; but neither thrive in passing the ball. Roca is the solution Gracia needs to progressing and retaining the ball in this area.