West Bromwich Albion 0 Leeds United 0: Daniel Farke's side pick up point in stalemate — Yorkshire Post 17/8/24
Leeds United’s winless start to the new season continued but they managed to keep a first clean sheet in a 0-0 draw against West Brom at the Hawthorns.
Clear-cut chances were thin on the ground as last season’s
joint Golden Glove award winners in the Championship, Alex Palmer and Illan
Meslier, stood firm behind solid defences.
That will come as some relief to Leeds after conceding three
goals in each of their two games before this, including the midweek Carabao Cup
exit to Middlesbrough.
But Leeds supporters showed their frustration by booing when
passes from their side went backwards, and those boos returned at the final
whistle.
The visitors were without forward Georginio Rutter after
Brighton activated a £40million release clause in his contract, with Joel Piroe
replacing him for United’s only change.
Although Albion – looking to bounce back from their shock
midweek Carabao Cup loss to Fleetwood after starting their league campaign with
a 3-1 win at QPR – had several early corners and plenty of possession, Leeds
had the first chances.
Junior Firpo glanced over Ilia Gruev’s corner with the
opening opportunity before Ethan Ampadu tried his luck from some 60 yards out,
but his ambitious attempt drifted just wide with Palmer off his line.
Leeds full-back Jayden Bogle was the first player to be
booked after bundling Tom Fellows over just outside the penalty area.
That incident led to West Brom’s first threat when John
Swift’s free-kick hit former Leeds defender Kyle Bartley on the chest at the
far post and bounced harmlessly wide.
Leeds went closest to the opening goal in the first half
right before half-time.
Pascal Struijk’s glancing header from Gruev’s free-kick hit
Baggies defender Semi Ajayi and went just wide.
Albion made the better start to the second half and, in the
50th minute, created the game’s first on-target effort.
Swift started and almost helped finish the move, picking the
ball up deep before spreading play to Fellows.
The youngster squared back to former Reading man Swift, who
teed up Jayson Molumby for a 15-yard drive that flew straight at Meslier.
Leeds’ first effort on target arrived in the 57th minute but
was a weak looping Ethan Ampadu header from Gruev’s cross that was easy for
Palmer.
Moments later, Piroe should have done better for the
visitors but his contact was poor from Joseph’s low cross.
Leeds boss Daniel Farke made a double substitution in the
64th minute in an attempt to turn things his side’s way.
Joe Rothwell and Brenden Aaronson replaced Piroe and Dan
James, who had both been fairly anonymous.
Albion missed a good chance when Karlan Grant sidefooted
wide well inside the area from Molumby’s pass after the midfielder cut out a
pass to Rothwell.
The Baggies threatened again but Bartley could not keep his
aerial effort down after Josh Maja glanced goalwards from Furlong’s cross.
Leeds returned fire with a Struijk header that sailed
comfortably wide from Gruev’s corner.