By Daniel Ghorbal
Leeds United 7:45pm. Wednesday. Anfield.
The recent weekend of football was arguably one of the most entertaining of the season so far, and the results both these sides got have significant importance, but for very contrasting reasons. Liverpool’s comeback win over Norwich preceded a rare Manchester City slip up, whilst Leeds slumped to a 4-2 defeat at home to rivals Manchester United. All of a sudden, this game rescheduled from a Boxing Day postponement has huge significance at both ends of the table. Leeds’ defensive slackness as of late has meant positive results are few and far between. They are sitting in a rather precarious position in the league, knowing that several more wins are necessary to propel them away from the danger. Strong wins against the likes of Burnley and West Ham gave them a cushion, but after losing to Newcastle at home, they have shipped seven against Everton and United, re-highlighting their inability to keep opposition out.
Marcelo Bielsa was hailed for the way in which he got Leeds promoted, playing an expansive, brave style of play. Carrying on into his first season in the Premier League, he stuck with his style and the Whites were undoubtedly one of the most entertaining sides to watch in the country. An impressive return to the top flight saw the likes of Kalvin Phillips, Raphinha and Patrick Bamford cherish, but they have not been able to enjoy the same level of success this time around. Many use the narrative that Leeds have been “found out”, but in reality, a combination of injuries and defensive indiscipline has caught them out on multiple occasions. The media often re-kindle the idea that Bielsa needs to change his tactics in order to keep more clean sheets, but this is his identity and he has already shunned those thoughts from the outside. An example which epitomises them as a team at the minute comes as recently as Sunday. Leeds worked so hard to stun United and level the game from 2-0 down, but just minutes after finding an equaliser and having all the momentum, a counter-attack occurred whereby Man United had a 3 on 2 situation, an unthinkable scenario for a game that was all square. Leeds can be so dangerous when they flood numbers forward, but more often than not their inability to track runners is noticeable, and against the top sides in the league they are punished.
Liverpool away in the reds’ current form is arguably the toughest game they could possibly ask for at this minute, coming to a ground that will be a cauldron of noise and facing a side who know that nothing less than three points is good enough. Although the odds are against Bielsa’s side, they may cherish the prospect of being the underdogs and hurting Liverpool. Norwich had some joy at times getting in behind, and if the likes of Dan James, Jack Harrison and Raphinha are able to break the offside trap then there is every chance Leeds can score multiple times. On the contrary though, keeping Liverpool at bay is what will give the West-Yorkshire outfit the best chance of picking up a result. The momentum the hosts will have coming into this suggests that they will start with a tempo and a hunger to penetrate Leeds, and it is vital that they remain disciplined and only commit bodies at the right time. Although they do have such a gung-ho approach, there have been many games whereby Leeds have demonstrated superb tactical nous, and Liverpool certainly need to be wary of the threats they pose across the pitch.
For Leeds, injuries and disruption have decimated the squad at times this season, and the squad to select from at Anfield will not be blessed with options. Raphinha and Liverpool-born Joe Gelhardt made good impressions after coming off the bench at the weekend, but none of the players absent are expected to make returns for this one, whilst Robin Koch will be assessed following a concussion substitution in the previous game. A dynamic front four will certainly make Liverpool’s defensive players work hard, but if the crowd and players turn up at the levels they are capable of, Leeds could be in for a long evening.
Predicted team: Meslier, Dallas, Llorente, Ayling, Firpo, Forshaw, Klich, Raphinha, Harrison, James, Rodrigo
