Leeds United 3 Portsmouth 3: The craziness of the Championship as Aaronson saves day — but fails to bring the house down — Yorkshire Post 10/8/24

By Leon Wobschall

SUNSHINE, rain, exhilaration, frustration, anger, relief, disbelief - and a second successive helter-skelter opening-day draw at Elland Road by the end.

The statistics show that Portsmouth took a bit of a battering here - 22 goals attempts from Leeds to their five - but the one that mattered was kinder to them on their Championship return after being absent since 2012.

They pushed their luck at times and a late penalty from two-goal Callum Lang looked like they had unfathomably won it, only for an unlikely savour in Brenden Aaronson to save the day in the fifth minute of stoppage time, three minutes after Lang’s spot-kick after some reprehensible defending from Jayden Bogle as he inadvisedly tugged the shirt of Christian Saydee.

Jeered when he came on by some, there were chants of USA when Aaronson levelled. In keeping with the game, he could - and should - have won it, firing wide after being sent clear by Bogle, endeavouring to atone.

Daniel Farke’s side did tantalisingly hint at making a statement. Certainly in a riproaring opening when the Portsmouth goal led a charmed life.

If anyone worried that they might be a hangover to events at the end of last season at Wembley, they were emphatically trashed, even before United’s opener.

Leeds went for the jugular from the off. Incredibly, it saw them hit the woodwork on three occasions inside the first seven minutes.

It started when debutant Bogle’s incisive pass sent Georginio Rutter clear on the right, with his pullback finding Wilfried Gnonto, whose deflected close-range shot rattled the bar.

From Ilia Greuv’s resultant corner, new captain Ethan Ampadu found space at the far post and his downward header knocked out wood again and clipped the bar.

Portsmouth were palpitating and there was simply no respite.

Lang fouled Ampadu, presenting Leeds with an inviting free-kick situation which ended in Gruev’s fine curling smacking against the bar, which came to Pompey’s rescue once again.

Leeds weren’t put off and their opener had an air of inevitability about it on 10 minutes.

The ball broke and Connor Ogilvie found himself on the wrong side of Dan James ahead of panicking and bringing him down from behind.

It was Pascal Struijk who stepped up from 12 yards and he coolly sent Will Norris the wrong way and all was good.

Leeds were ripping into a Portsmouth side containing just one recognised centre-back. The half would end with the hosts peppering the visiting goal and trailing 2-1. Once again, that’s the Championship. And this is Leeds United where it is rarely straightforward.

Seeing his side leading early doors, Daniel Farke will have been wanting his players to be ‘greedy’, that famous phrase of his. Unfortunately, they got a little sloppy and were punished.

Forced to dig in during a torrid opening, Pompey did just that. Their moment then arrived on 23 minutes.

Ampadu was a little casual in clearing. Marlon Pack, who instigated Pompey’s recovery masterfully, picked up the loose ball before finding Elias Sorensen with a dream of a low pass as Leeds ball-watched, with his powerful shot beating the defences of Ilian Meslier for an equaliser which certainly didn’t look like coming before that. A soft one, in fairness.

Leeds, playing well going forward, didn’t panic.

Greuv caught Dozzell dozing before finding Joseph, whose powerful shot was blocked at his near post by Norris. Junior Firpo then found Gnonto, who cut inside Shaughnessy and saw his low shot blocked by the legs of Norris.

Rutter then fired wide, surely the second goal would not be long in coming.

It wasn’t, at the other end.

Referee Oliver Langford angered the home fans and Joe Rodon for awarding a free-kick after tussling with Lang.

The sting came when Pack’s free-kick was headed out by Rodon into a central area and was seized on by Lang, whose howitzer flew past Meslier to stun the Kop with a cracking drive from distance.

It was a half in which Leeds totalled 12 attempts on goal to Pompey’s four, yet they trailed although there was no need to panic, particularly going forward.

That was reinforced when the hosts levelled soon after the restart.

The ball broke for Gnonto, who needed no second hesitation to cut inside from the left and attack. That he duly did and his fine low shot soon nestled in the near corner of the net.

Leeds were bang at it, playing in front of the Kop, with Joseph soon firing over when well placed.

As with the first half, it was an express opening from the hosts, with a faint Firpo header soon flying across goal before Gruev shot straight at Norris as Pompey gasped for air.

The traffic was one way with Greuv and then Rutter seeing shots held by Norris, a busy man for sure.

Still no lead, as Leeds substitutes started to warm up. How long would Farke give it? Stick or twist? He left it until 71 minutes with Joe Rothwell, Brenden Aaronson and Joel Piroe summoned.

Aaronson started on the left, with Piroe operating as the ‘ten’, with Rutter moving to the right.

Bamford later arrived. He headed wide following Firpo’s deflected cross.

Portsmouth, given a host of absentees, were entitled to be rather chirper. The chimes were starting to ring out and certainly did at the death, only for Aaronson to save the day.