Burnley 2 Leeds United 0: Quality lacking when Whites need it most — Yorkshire Post 18/10/25
By Stuart Rayner
In perhaps the game they have needed it more than any other
so far this season, all quality deserted Leeds United.
For newly-promoted sides, games against each other are an
opportunity not to be passed up in the search for the points they need to be
back for another season in the Premier League.
It is a well-known fact that Daniel Farke wanted an upgrade
on his fourth and fifth-choice wingers this summer, but with Noah Okafor and
Willy Gnonto injured, and Daniel James not yet fit enough to start, Brenden
Aaronson and Jack Harrison were the men entrusted to start on either side of
Leeds' front three.
On a day when almost everyone in white looked distinctly
off-colour, it was unfortunate that two of the three really good chances they
created fell to the pair. The first was saved, the second missed.
Add in some poor defending and it was only ever likely to
end one way. Despite Leeds buffing up their statistics with lots of the ball
and plenty of shots, Burnley were very worthy 2-0 winners.
It was no surprise to see them take the lead as, even 18
minutes in, Leeds were still yet to properly get into the game.
It was they who presented the opportunity, overdoing the
short stuff at a corner, then watching Karl Darlow kick an attempted pass to
Gabriel Gudmundsson out of play.
Kyle Walker lent the throw-in to Josh Cullen, and produced a
lovely cross when he got it back. Lesley Ugochukwu appeared to run off Anton
Stach and between centre-backs Pascal Struijk and Joe Rodon to head his side in
front.
Leeds have not gone 1-0 up in a game since the opening night
of their season.
At that point Burnley stood off, allowing Leeds to at last
play some football in their half – until then their only chance of note was
Dominic Calvert-Lewin's overhead bicycle kick.
The visitors did little with it, but the chance they created
in the 32nd minute really should have been taken.
Former Leeds loanee Jaidon Anthony gave the ball to Harrison
– the first team change the Whites had made in five game. He drove forward and
slipped in Aaronson for a glorious chance to equalise. Martin Dubravka touched
his shot onto a post.
A good cross from the left did not quite fall for Sean
Longstaff to volley. Arriving behind him, Jayden Bogle hit his efforts into a
defender.
Likewise, Stach just failed to get a touch on an Aaronson
cross.
The German did force a save in the 44th minute when
Gudmundsson – Leeds' best player by a country mile – was fouled by Anthony as
he hurtled towards the area. Dubravka made a flying save from Stach's
free-kick, but it needed to be nearer the far post to trouble him.
After an hour Leeds created another really good opportunity
and this time it was Harrison who fluffed it.
Longstaff's cross found him in lots of space at the far post
but he volleyed into the ground and way off target. Another volley from the D
when Rodon headed a corner back to him four minutes later was also off target.
Burnley punished them brutally.
Leeds stood off substitute Laum Tchaouna and watched him
lash a shot which gave the goalkeeper no chance.
Bogle then topped it with the worst miss of the lot five
minutes later.
Substitute Lukas Nmecha nodded the ball across for a tap-in
as the full-back arrived at the far post but he somehow cleared the crossbar
with his effort, making much better contact with the advertising hoarding he
kicked in frustration.
Nmecha then had a chance himself but with Dubravaka coming
out at him as he rose to a Gudmundsson cross, he missed the target. With Joel
Piroe – another sub – glancing a header so wide in between time that James was
able to retrieve it and put it back in, it felt like nothing was going to get
the visitors on the scoresheet, no matter how hard they pushed.
Struijk had a shot blocked, Piroe stabbed wide when
Gudmundsson's latest pull-back was behind him, Rodon headed a corner straight a
Dubravka, Calvert-Lewin put an Ao Tanaka cross onto the roof of the net but we
were just marking time.
Leeds could have been out there all day and still not
scored.
The effort was there, the quality was definitely not.
