Not pretty but big Leeds United bonus as long run is ended on potentially defining weekend - YEP 11/4/22

It wasn’t particularly pretty.

By Lee Sobot

But, ultimately, it doesn’t matter and Leeds United now look well on their way to Premier League survival, particularly with Jesse Marsch’s Whites evidently becoming hard to beat.

Watford had chances at Vicarage Road on Saturday yet the Hornets were unable to make any sort of breakthrough, significantly so.

Significantly because United had not kept a clean sheet since the 1-0 victory at home to Crystal Palace on November 7 - 19 games ago - and the improvement to their defending is a huge boost for the season run-in although the most important steps were probably taken this weekend.

Saturday’s 3-0 triumph put the Whites nine points clear of the drop zone with seven games left but third-bottom Burnley had the chance to draw level and even overhaul Leeds with three games in hand and a far better goal difference.

But a 2-0 defeat for Sean Dyche’s side at Norwich City on Sunday felt just as significant as United’s Watford win and Leeds are now nine points clear of the drop zone and with the Clarets having only two games in hand.

Burnley have picked up only 24 points from their 30 games so far and there would have to be serious doubts about them even taking another nine from their final eight games which would be needed to take them up to 33 points, the tally on which Leeds now sit.

Second-bottom Watford and bottom side Norwich are looking even less threatening, notwithstanding the fact that the Canaries produced a decent display in Sunday’s win against Burnley.

But, with fourth-bottom Everton also five points behind Leeds, albeit having played two games fewer, United now look on the cusp of safety already and yet ought to be capable of picking up a decent enough haul of points from their final six games given this newfound steeliness, even with a hard run-in.

Watford had eight attempts at goal during Saturday’s contest but were not exactly hammering on the door, the Hornets managing just one attempt on target and Ismaila Sarr squandering the only gilt-edged opportunity when played through one on one early in the second half.

Sarr looked all set to draw Roy Hodgson’s side level only to slice his shot wide and, moments later, United bagged their second goal as Rodrigo’s pressing led to a calamitous mix-up in the Hornets defence.

But whilst there were a couple of other occasions when Watford went close, notably when Imran Louza’s first-half free-kick whistled just wide, United’s defending was solid with recently-returned captain Liam Cooper once again a rock at the back alongside Diego Llorente.

Cooper was also excellent in last weekend’s 1-1 draw at home to Southampton in which Leeds would have had a welcome clean sheet but for a terrific free-kick from James Ward-Prowse.

But there were no Ward-Prowses in Watford’s team and, whilst significantly tougher tests will await, Marsch’s side are bound to take a lot of confidence from finally shutting out the opposition en route to a huge victory.

United will also have Kalvin Phillips to come back into the XI once he is fully fit and Marsch’s side have given themselves a solid base to build from via a back-four protected by two holding midfielders.

With Phillips only on the bench, Mateusz Klich and Robin Koch provided that double pivot at Watford until Phillips replaced Klich in the second half, Phillips followed on later by youngsters Sam Greenwood and Crysencio Summerville who both impressed.

And whilst Saturday’s display was hardy United’s best from an attacking sphere, Marsch’s side still served up 10 attempts, five of which were on target and three beating goalkeeper Ben Foster via two moments of quality from Raphinha and Jack Harrison and excellent pressing from Rodrigo.

There were times when Saturday’s game was a very hard watch. Scrappy, niggly, low on quality.

But all that mattered was that United left with all three points, which they did, and, if you look a little deeper, there were plenty of other bonuses too, topped by that long-awaited elusive clean sheet.