Joseph and Gray make points against Chelsea as Leeds show they could compete in Premier League — The Athletic 29/2/24

By Nancy Froston

The kids are alright — better than alright, in fact, if those kids happen to be Mateo Joseph and Archie Gray.

As a test of their Premier League credentials, if Leeds United fulfil their ambition of winning promotion this season, Chelsea away in the FA Cup is a good chance to turn up and show what you are about. Both did that and more as Daniel Farke’s side fell foul of a cruel, late winner from Conor Gallagher in a 3-2 defeat at Stamford Bridge.

It was a defeat that felt very little like one thanks to the efforts of the next generation of Leeds players with two-goal Joseph leading the line and picking up the plaudits. His first goal in senior football was calm and composed, the second a header so easily dispatched he looked as if he had been tucking them away for years.

But then, finishing is in the family: the 20-year-old who grew up in Spain is related to Emile Heskey via his father, who is a cousin of the former Liverpool and England striker. Heskey has two sons on the books at Manchester City, Reigan (16) and Jaden (18), and the the Joseph speaks to the latter from time to time. They will have plenty to talk about after the latter’s outing in west London.

With five changes to the starting line-up — largely enforced — it would be easy to credit this as a young player getting a chance by default. But in Joseph’s case, he has more than earned it. Farke was keen to make that point, with the absences of Ilia Gruev (hip flexor), Georginio Rutter (hernia), Joe Gelhardt (back spasm) Patrick Bamford and Crysencio Summerville were also on the substitutes’ bench.

But all of these absences were not the only reason Joseph was drafted into the team.

Last season with Leeds’ under-21s, the England under-20 international scored an impressive 16 goals and his progress saw him rewarded last month with a new contract until 2028. Not all of Leeds’ young signings tipped to become first-team players have become a success, but Joseph looks to be in the mix. He gave a mature performance against a Premier League side — but there was already evidence of his ability to take on those big challenges.

After growing up in a small village on the north coast of Spain, he started at Racing Santander in the Segunda Division before making the 450-mile move to La Liga’s Espanyol in his early teens. In 2022, Leeds picked him up after he was spotted by Victor Orta, who flew out to Spain to sell the youngster on the project and pathway at Elland Road.

Announcing himself on a raucous night at Stamford Bridge is something of a homecoming, as just down the road he has a grandmother who lives near Chelsea. That he had both Chelsea and Liverpool shirts bearing Fernando Torres’ name as a child tells the story of his dual nationality and influences with an English father and a Spanish mother. Joseph has not yet declared whether he will commit to Spain or England long term but, either way, he has the potential for a bright future.

“Mateo is a really good young player and I loved already to work with him in pre-season,” Farke said. “Then he had a long-term injury and was out for several weeks and it’s never easy for a young player to come into such a side because we are a good side, by Championship standards. We have lots of competition but we work with him on a daily basis and what I like about him is he is humble, he is down to earth and he likes to work.

“He is always open for hints and little bits of work and we try to improve him each and every day. Today it was not a gift or a coincidence that I played him just because a few key players were out. He earned this place in the starting line-up, he had a good performance in the last round of the cup away at Plymouth.

“For an offensive player, it is even more pleasing when there is end product. He played excellent and deserves to be in the spotlight with his two goals because it is a major step in his development and we are all happy that he signed a long-term contract a few weeks ago.”

And Joseph was not the only good bit of business completed when it came to contract renewals last month, with Archie Gray also tied down until 2028. His performance in central midfield saw him skip past players and put in perfectly timed tackles to offer a taste of what he can do there as opposed to right-back, where Farke has been using him in the Championship.

The 17-year-old being a very gifted player is not news to anyone who has been a regular at Elland Road this season. However, seeing him take Chelsea to the sword without batting an eyelid at the occasion was one of many positives from the performance.

If the game was a dry run for this Leeds team should they achieve promotion, then it was an educational display — both in showing which players could step up and where weaknesses will lie. The first goal on eight minutes was a flashback to the high-pressing systems of Jesse Marsch when Gray caught them playing out from a goal kick before Jaidon Anthony fed Joseph to score.

Chelsea overwhelmed Leeds’ right-hand side with their two first-half goals from Nicolas Jackson and Mykhailo Mudryk, before Gallagher’s well-taken winner. It is oversimplifying things to say where Chelsea had finesse Leeds had heart — because the latter offered more than just plucky resistance of a Championship team taking on a ‘Big Six’ side.

As a handful of agonising chances for a winner went begging late in the second half, Leeds looked the more likely side to advance to an FA Cup quarter-final.

As it is, Leeds left London knowing that if they can get the job done in the Championship then — with personnel tweaks and transfer activity this summer — they could compete in the top flight next season.

“We proved today that, although the odds are against you, you have the chance to go for it,” Farke said. It is a healthy mantra for the promotion push.