Leeds United rose out of the relegation zone and up to 13th in the Premier League table following a 2-1 win over Nottingham Forest at Elland Road last night.
The Whites initially went behind in the game, with Orel Mangala slotting home for the visitors. Jack Harrison equalised shortly after, following in from Marc Roca’s strike to score.
Luis Sinisterra curled home a wonderful goal for Javi Gracia’s side to put them 2-1 up by half-time, and that’s how the score remained, giving him another huge three points in Leeds’ bid to survive relegation.
Gracia has collected 10 points since his arrival, including three wins over fellow relegation rivals Southampton, Wolves, and Forest.
Here, we take a look at ONE winner and ONE loser at Leeds following the latest victory.
Winner – Marc Roca
It could have been any number of players, with a host of standout performances in the victory.
Roca dictated the game, though. His range of passing has never shown so well, and his desire off the ball to win it back was also excellent. In this system Leeds can get more out of a player like Roca.
Roca was Man of the Match for most fans, and his quality with and without the ball shined throughout. It was a complete performance from Leeds’ summer signing from Bayern Munich, and showed life without Tyler Adams in the starting line-up can still be very positive.
Special mentions go to the match winner Sinisterra and also Pascal Struijk, who were the next closest to receiving the award as both were superb.
The big updated Marc Roca quiz – Can Leeds United fans score 20/20?
Loser – Luke Ayling
The 31-year-old has struggled for a few games now, and he tied himself in knots giving the ball away to Forest for their goal.
Ayling couldn’t live with the directness and pace down the opponent’s left side. The threat was constantly around Ayling for Forest and they clearly targeted him as a weak spot, for the few times they did manage to venture forward.
Rasmus Kristensen should be in line for a recall soon, because the right-back spot is proving to be particularly problematic at present for Gracia and his team.
Ayling is clearly being played more for his leadership qualities as the stand-in captain than for what he is offering the team, because defensively he is struggling. His lack of athleticism and mobility is killing Leeds at the moment.
Should Cooper and Ayling be starting regularly right now?
Yes
No
