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Leeds United can beat Wolverhampton Wanderers but not the craziness - Yorkshire Post 20/3/23

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YOU can try as hard as you like to fight the craziness of Leeds United, but defeating it is easier said than done. Stuart Rayner It was laid bare in a 4-2 win full of sub-plots. As if six goals and 33 shots was not enough, Wolverhampton Wanderers had a penalty refused by the video assistant referee and two red cards – one for a substitute who never made it on. Marcelo Bielsa and Jesse Marsch were exponents of chaos theory, in-your-face styles playing to the Elland Road gallery, but the current coach prefers control. Leeds had it for large parts of a game they led 3-0 only for substitute Adama Traore to take it off them and run away with it. Once Jack Harrison scored his second goal in as many games, the Whites played as they wanted. As against Brighton and Hove Albion they fell back into a narrow 4-4-1-1. It gave plenty of space wide to work in but this was Wolves. For all Luke Ayling had a hard time and Junior Firpo picked up a booking and escaped the penalty shout, giving
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Leeds United Under-21s nearing automatic promotion territory as Mateo Joseph hits goals milestone - YEP 19/3/23

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Leeds United's Under-21 side moved one step closer to top flight football next season with a home win over Sunderland Under-21s at Elland Road on Sunday afternoon. Joe Donnohue Goals from Mateo Joseph (2) and Sonny Perkins ensured Leeds restored a three-point lead at the top of Premier League 2 Division 2 ahead of promotion-chasing Nottingham Forest and Southampton. The Whites named a strong line-up featuring Archie Gray, Perkins, Joseph and in-form Darko Gyabi. The latter, a £5 million summer signing, has established himself as a standout in several fixtures for the Under-21s and produced another imperious performance in the middle. Somewhat less imposing, but equally impactful, winger Charlie Allen added two assists setting up Joseph in each half for his 14th and 15th league goals of the campaign. It was Allen's industrious work down the right flank which yielded the game's opener, slipping in between two defenders before laying finding Joseph, recent England Un
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Leeds United and Wolves fixture computer joke leaves Javi Gracia laughing - Graham Smyth's Verdict - YEP 19/3/23

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If the Premier League's fixture computer throws Wolves and Leeds United together at Molineux on March 18 next year then we'll know that it's not only become sentient but developed a cracking sense of humour. By Graham Smyth A second Whites lightning strike in as many visits was conducted by a goalscoring trio who struck on the very same date last year, handing Javi Gracia's men a 4-2 victory and three points that powered them up into 14th. Like its 2022 predecessor, the 2023 meeting featured a Wolves red card and goals from Jack Harrison, Luke Ayling and Rodrigo. Rasmus Kristensen finding the net too, seconds after coming on as a substitute, was every bit as unlikely as all the aforementioned similarities. How deserved a win it was could be debated from here until March 18 2024, not that Leeds will care or even engage with it. The bus was started in the wake of Rodrigo's stoppage-time insurance goal and they were up the road before Wolves could clear their h
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Leeds United rollickings, Wolves technical area madness, trio’s bad day and off-camera moments - YEP 19/3/23

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Leeds United at Molineux is a recipe for madness and though there was little method in their work at times, they still had enough to beat Wolves. By Graham Smyth A 4-2 victory, their sixth of the Premier League season, drove Javi Gracia's men up from 19th to 14th in the table, highlighting just how tight the relegation battle has become. Goals from Jack Harrison, Luke Ayling, Rasmus Kristensen and Rodrigo did the job but the goals didn't tell half of the story, with VAR interventions and a pair of red cards for the hosts. Jonny's dismissal for a horrible challenge on Ayling was followed by unused substitute Matheus Nunes' sending off, in the technical area, for anger aimed at an assistant referee. Here's the YEP take on another madcap encounter at Molineux. Good day Crysencio Summerville The winger came into a fractious, physical game and showed his intelligence, using the ball brilliantly to relieve pressure and hurt the hosts. He was creative but h
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Javi Gracia reveals pre-game Leeds United message and 'deserved' verdict on madcap win at Wolves - YEP 18/3/23

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Leeds United’s madcap 4-2 win over Wolves at Molineux was a deserved reward for their performance, in Javi Gracia’s eyes. By Graham Smyth The Whites went 3-0 up, scoring with each of their first three shots on target, Jack Harrison, Luke Ayling and Rasmus Kristensen finding the net. But with 17 minutes remaining it was 3-2 and Wolves were piling on the pressure in search of an equaliser. A combination of Jonny’s red card, for a horrible challenge on Ayling, and Gracia’s substitutions helped the Whites to not only protect their lead but strengthen it with a late Rodrigo goal that survived a VAR check. That was their fourth and final shot on target. Wolves, by comparison, had twice as many. Leeds’ three-point haul lifted them out of the drop zone to 14th place in the Premier League and Gracia was delighted for his players. "I think today we got a very, very good win,” he said. "Our players in my opinion did an amazing game and they deserve the reward of three points b
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Wolverhampton Wanderers 2 Leeds United 4: Scoreline tells a fraction of the story but the only bit that matters to Whites - Yorkshire Post 18/3/23

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A year to the day after Luke Ayling scored as Leeds United won a frankly bonkers game 3-2 win at the home of Wolverhampton Wanderers, it looked as if Luke Ayling scored in a frankly bonkers 3-2 win at the home of Wolverhampton Wanderers. By Stuart Rayner In the end it was 4-2, Rodrigo lifting a stoppage-time goal over Jose Sa, and the game went beyond crazy with two Wolves players sent off, one without even making it onto the pitch. Julen Lopetegui was going spare with referee Michael Salisbury at full-time and he was by no means alone. The dramatics were one things but the facts were what mattered to Leeds. On a day when Southampton and Leicester City drew and Bournemouth lost, they moved up to 14th, a point behind Wolves with a game in hand. They have picked up seven in four matches under coach Javi Gracia, another new Leeds coach at the uncomfortable end of the Premier League table 12 months on. Not many teams could be 3-0 up against a side who have not had a centre-forw
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Leeds jump five places with wild win over Wolves - Independent 18/3/23

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Jack Harrison, Luke Ayling, Rasmus Kristensen and Rodrigo scored in a 4-2 success as Wolves scorer Jonny was sent off. Nick Mashiter Leeds United breathed fresh life into their survival hopes after a manic win at Wolverhampton Wanderers. Jack Harrison, Luke Ayling, Rasmus Kristensen and Rodrigo struck to clinch a rollercoaster 4-2 victory and lift them out of the Premier League’s relegation zone. Jonny’s long-range lob and Matheus Cunha’s first goal for Wolves gave them hope before Jonny’s late red card. Unused substitute Matheus Nunes was also dismissed in stoppage time, with Wolves furious Rodrigo’s goal was not ruled out for a foul on Adama Traore. Exactly 12 months ago Leeds hit back from 2-0 down to win 3-2 at Molineux thanks to Ayling’s injury-time winner. Victory was still not straightforward this time but a frenzied win in a game which threatened to swing either way leaves Leeds 14th, just a point and a place behind their hosts with a game in hand. As much as Wo
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