Leeds return to the top after super-sub Struijk strikes twice to sink Sunderland — Guardian 17/2/25
Louise Taylor at Elland Road
The news that a national poetry centre is to be established
in Leeds proved the source of considerable pride in West Yorkshire on Monday.
By 10pm on a bitterly cold night at Elland Road, any notions that Leeds would
capture the mood courtesy of a suitably cadenced performance had been
thoroughly disabused as Daniel Farke’s side fought their way to a dramatic
last-gasp win after Wilson Isidor had given Sunderland the lead.
Yet if it was hardly poetic, substitute Pascal Struijk’s
gamechanging double returned Leeds to the top of the Championship, leaving them
two points ahead of Sheffield United, seven clear of third-placed Burnley and
10 in front of Régis Le Bris’s team.
It was a cruel end for Sunderland as their nasty habit of
conceding late goals once again returned to haunt them. “We want to be promoted
and the result is tough to take but we can be proud of the way we played,” said
Le Bris, whose side look destined for the playoffs. We’re still young and still
learning. We played a good first half but Leeds were very good and you could
see they had more experience than us. We need more depth in the squad.”
Leeds are now unbeaten in 15 league games. Farke was so
excited by Struijk’s winner that he was booked in the midst of a wild
celebration and fears he will have to watch next Monday night’s game at
Sheffield United from the stands. “These are the best sort of wins,” he said.
“It was a great night but it was difficult. Sunderland are one of this league’s
best counterattacking sides and we had to be patient and we had to fight but
this is a major step in our development. I’m pretty proud of my players tonight.”
By the end Sunderland were forfeiting possession far too
cheaply but they began well and Illan Meslier was swiftly called to arms when
Enzo Le Fée sped down the left and squared for the unmarked Jobe Bellingham to
test the goalkeeper’s reflexes with a low shot perhaps lacking a little power.
When that effort was parried the rebound fell to Patrick Roberts but, once
again, Meslier proved equal to the challenge.
Nonetheless Le Fée – incidentally a former school friend of
Meslier’s in Brittany and fellow product of the Lorient academy once run by Le
Bris – had served notice of the talent that once prompted the loanee’s parent
club Roma to pay Rennes £20m for his services.
Although, even at this early stage, Leeds had plenty of
possession, Sunderland kept their cool and waited to pounce. Sure enough an
opening arrived thanks to a long ball from Dan Ballard diligently chased down
by the increasingly ruthless Isidor, who expertly turned the outmuscled Ethan
Ampadu before directing a fabulous angled shot into the net via the inside of
both uprights.
Too strong, too swift and, above all, too skilful for Ampadu
to handle, the former Zenit St Petersburg striker had a lot to do after
springing the Leeds offside trap but Isidor’s 12th goal of the season suggested
the Frenchman would not be out of place in the Premier League.