Daniel Farke's Leeds United hit Championship summit with dominant victory over Millwall — YEP 17/3/24
Leeds United are the new league leaders in the Championship after their 2-0 win over Millwall
By Will Jackson
Leeds United moved to the top of the Championship table as
they beat Millwall 2-0 at Elland Road on Sunday afternoon. With Leicester City
taking a break from the league to focus on the FA Cup this weekend, Leeds had
the chance to knock the Foxes off their perch and they duly delivered.
Wilfried Gnonto got the ball rolling for Leeds in what was a
dominant and controlled first half performance, hitting the back of the net
with a powerful effort from the edge of the area. Substitute Dan James grabbed
the second for Leeds as he capitalised on some fine work from Georginio Rutter
to deliver from close range.
The result extends Leeds' unbeaten run to 12 wins from 13
games and it means as the league grinds to a halt for the final international
break of the season, Daniel Farke's Whites are sitting pretty at the top of the
tree.
Farke named an unchanged line-up to face the Lions, which
was hardly a surprise given the impressive performance they turned in at
Sheffield Wednesday nine days prior and the Whites seized control from the off
against Millwall, dictating play, moving the ball well and frustrating the
visitors early when in possession.
Crysencio Summerville, who had drawn a blank in five
successive games leading into the contest, fancied his chances in attacking
areas and showed no hesitation in letting fly at every opportunity. He saw two
efforts deflected wide inside the first 13 minutes before bursting into the box
to get himself on the end of a chance Patrick Bamford created with some smart
play through the middle.
Capitalising on a mistake from Joe Bryan, Bamford burst away
from the Millwall backline before hitting a heavy pass wide to the supporting
Gnonto. The Italian held the ball up to the back post for Summerville but he
was crowded out.
Leeds were growing with confidence as the first half wore
on, though, dominating the ball and looking to open up the visitors. That's
exactly what Gnonto did when he showed his pace to knock Georginio Rutter's
pass inside and beat his man before hitting a side-footed effort beyond Sarkic
with venom.
It was a lead United deserved and they came close to bagging
a second moments later as Junior Firpo's deflected pullback had Sarkic
scrambling across his goal line. Summerville stung the Lions' custodian's palms
in the closing stages of a first half in which Leeds enjoyed 75 per cent of
possession.
Leeds picked up where they left off after the break in terms
of their control of the ball, moving it well and looking pick holes in the
Lions backline. Summerville and Junior Firpo certainly succeeded in doing that
as they combined down the left before the latter picked out Rutter in the
middle.
The Frenchman worked Sarkic with a close range effort before
seeing a follow up effort turned onto the post by the Millwall stopper.
The Lions had their moments in the second half to just
remind Leeds of the danger they possess with Jack Cooper and Michael Obafemi
going close. But Farke's side hammered home their dominance as James found the
all important second.
The substitute had Rutter to thank as the forward secured
his second assist of the game by holding off the defender to latch onto a
throughball and pick out the wide open James on the edge of the six-yard box.
James delayed his effort coolly before finding the back of the net through a
crowd of scrambling defenders.
The winger hit the post in added time with an effort that
would have put the icing on top of the cake, but ultimately the new league
leaders didn't need the third.
