Pressure grows on Jesse Marsch as fantastic Fulham come from behind to win at Leeds - Independent 23/10/22
Leeds 2-3 Fulham: There were boos at Elland Road as United’s winless run stretched to eight games
Mark Walker
Bobby Decordova-Reid and Willian scored second-half goals as
Fulham won 3-2 at Elland Road to send Leeds spiralling into the Premier
League’s bottom three.
A fourth straight defeat has further cranked up the pressure
on Leeds head coach Jesse Marsch, whose side’s winless run was extended to
eight matches.
It started well for the under-fire American when Rodrigo
headed Leeds in front, but they were pegged back before half-time by Aleksandar
Mitrovic’s header.
Leeds had most of the possession in the second period as
they strived to regain the lead, but there was no end product and they were
punished by Decordova-Reid’s header and Willian’s sliding finish.
Leeds substitute Crysencio Summerville reduced the deficit
in the first minute of added time, but it was not enough and by then Marsch had
already endured chants of ‘you’re getting sacked in the morning’ from his own
fans.
Fulham maintained their impressive progress under Marco
Silva after Thursday night’s 3-0 home win against Aston Villa had lifted them
up to ninth in the table.
They now sit eighth after their fifth league win of the
season following promotion under Silva last May.
Leeds’ accustomed flying start had Fulham scrambling inside
their own penalty area as Luis Sinisterra and then Jack Harrison were crowded
out.
But the only shot at goal during an encouraging opening
spell for Leeds came from Sam Greenwood, making only his second start for the
club, and that flew over the crossbar.
Fulham were denied an opener with their first attempt and
against the run of play in the 14th minute when Harrison Reed’s low shot was
brilliantly blocked on the goal-line by Marc Roca and then cleared by Robin
Koch.
Leeds were then rewarded for their break-neck start. Brenden
Aaronson picked out Harrison and his shot deflected off Fulham skipper Tim Ream
to the far post where Rodrigo headed home his fifth goal of the season.
The home side’s lead was short-lived though as Mitrovic’s
near-post header from Andreas Pereira’s corner flew through Leeds goalkeeper
Illan Meslier’s grasp.
Fulham’s riposte – and Mitrovic’s ninth league goal of the
season – silenced Elland Road and the home fans held their breath soon after
when Pereira raced clear following a clearance from a Leeds corner.
But Meslier, making his 100th Whites appearance, made amends
for his earlier gaffe with a superb block to keep the scores level at the
break.
Leeds flew out of the blocks again after the restart.
Rodrigo’s shot was held by Bernd Leno and Aaronson’s effort curled off target.
Rodrigo and Luke Ayling both fired wide as Leeds’ chances
mounted, before the latter rescued his side twice at the other end, thwarting
Joao Palhinha and blocking another goalbound shot.
Leno produced a smart block to deny second-half substitute
Patrick Bamford, but Fulham turned the game on its head when the unmarked
Decordova-Reid headed them into the lead from Pereira’s cross.
A large section of home fans called for March to go and
chanted ‘sack the board’ before Willian turned home Reed’s 84th-minute
cut-back, while Summerville’s stoppage-time effort for Leeds was mere
consolation.