Louise Taylor was at Elland Road tonight, and her verdict has landed. Here it is! Thanks for reading this MBM. Nighty night.
Javi Gracia speaks to BT Sport. “We had started winning … after conceding the goal at the end we had some clear chances … we work for that … now we are disappointed … we take one point and try to do it in the next game … we followed the plan with a very good attitude … they showed high commitment … we will try to do better next time to get the three points … we have different options to play up front and I am happy with their performance.”
Dean Smith talks to BT. “It probably was a fair result because of the chances they had in the last minute … we were dominant for long periods … they scored against the run of play … there’s a lot of character in the performance … we created the big moments … we can be a good team … cut out the lapses of concentration and we will be fine … we’ve had two offside goals … points-wise I have no idea [what Leicester will need to stay up] … we’ve not looked at it as points … the next game now is Everton on Monday and we can rest and recover … I’m not sure how [the injured Iheanacho] is but that could be a blow for us.”
James Maddison speaks to BT Sport. “We dominated … they scored when we were on top … they had their chance from a set play, Bamford should have scored, but we dominated the second half … especially when Daka and Vardy came on, we created lots of chances … it was important we didn’t lose … when you get a new manager it gives you a new lift, a new hunger, you have a new man to impress … a new voice can sometimes help … the players are really fighting and that’s another point … it’s our responsibility as big players to produce for the club.”
Jamie Vardy adds: “It could be massive … we have five cup finals left … we’ll enjoy getting this point tonight, but we’ll be back in to recover tomorrow and look forward to Everton on Monday night … we were on top … we’ve got to keep working hard … I probably can’t say what I want to say because I’ll probably get done saying it on TV, but it’s been a weird season for myself … I’ve got [a goal] now so hopefully during this run to the end of the season they’ll keep coming.”
A crucial point gained? Two crucial points dropped? Leeds and Leicester fans can stare at this table, do their sums, and work out all the permutations, but good luck coming to any concrete conclusion. What we do know for sure is this: Leeds’ visit to Bournemouth on Sunday, and Leicester’s home match with Everton on Monday, will be unmissable.
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | Leeds | 33 | -21 | 30 |
| 17 | Leicester | 33 | -13 | 29 |
| 18 | Everton | 32 | -22 | 28 |
| 19 | Nottm Forest | 32 | -33 | 27 |
| 20 | Southampton | 32 | -29 | 24 |
FULL TIME: Leeds United 1-1 Leicester City
Leeds will see this as two points dropped, Leicester as one saved, but over the piece this seems the right result. Both sides had their chances to win.
90 min +5: An almighty scramble in the Leeds box. Vardy, Daka and Tielemans take turns to swipe helplessly at the ball, unable to get their shots away. A corner’s won and cleared. And that should be that.
90 min +4: Bamford tries to make up for his egregious miss by dribbling his way through the middle of the Leicester defence. He had half a chance to take a whack from the edge of the box, but took the higher-tariff route instead. The door slams shut.
90 min +2: On BT Sport, Ally McCoist names James Maddison as his player of the match.
90 min: There will be five more minutes of this. Fans of Leeds and Leicester may demur, their nerves shredded, but could there be another 55? This has been blisteringly good entertainment.
89 min: Nearly! Roca meets Harrison’s header six yards out. Iversen saves it with his face! Kristiansen hooks off the line. Leeds come again. Harrison shoots from a tight angle on the right. Iversen turns around the post. Harrison sends another dangerous corner kick into the mixer. Roca flicks this one on, and Bamford swings lazily at the dropping ball from a couple of yards. He has to score, but the ball bounces harmlessly wide left. What a series of saves and misses!
Updated
88 min: … so having said that, Ayling decides to have a dig from an ambitious distance, and his shot is deflected out for a corner. Harrison to take. Another twist coming up?
87 min: The atmosphere in Elland Road is turning a little bit sour now, with Leicester looking the side most likely to find a winner. Any misplaced passes are being met with yelps of extreme displeasure.
FULL TIME: Aston Villa 1-0 Fulham. Villa have now won eight and drawn two of their last ten. The form of champions. Speaking of which, the crest they wore in 1981 is coming back next season, pretty much. It’s all happening under Unai Emery!
84 min: Leeds are suddenly all over the shop, and Soumare’s pass down the left suddenly has Iheanacho tearing into acres. Daka rolls across for Vardy, who slots from six yards. He wheels off to celebrate, but the flag goes up correctly for offside. Vardy, looking across the line, should never have found himself offside, but that’s a huge let-off for Leeds!
Updated
83 min: As if the last 20 minutes weren’t big enough for Leeds and Leicester. The last ten will be humungous.
82 min: Iheanacho pulled something when making the run to start that move, and makes way for Praet.
GOAL! Leeds United 1-1 Leicester City (Vardy 80)
It had been coming. Iheanacho cuts in from the left and slips a pass down the middle for Maddison, who takes a touch to the left to take the ball away from Firpo, then prods it down the inside-left channel to release Vardy, who has the run on Koch. Vardy enters the box, opens his body, and slots across Meslier and into the bottom right. Lovely goal!
Updated
79 min: Leeds faff around over the free kick, then a throw, and the clock ticks on.
77 min: Roca contests a 50-50 with Tielemans in the middle of the park and buys a cheap foul, running into the Leicester man’s hanging leg. Just a free kick, but Tielemans, one of the men on a yellow, wants to watch himself here.
75 min: Aaronson clips Maddison just to the right of the Leeds box. Maddison gets up and swings the free kick in for Faes, who sends a spectacular overhead kick deep into the stand behind the goal. The visitors are beginning to ask some serious questions.
74 min: … and again! Maddison sends Iheanacho into space down the right. Another one-on-one duel. Iheanacho faces a tight angle and can’t squeeze his shot past the keeper, who makes himself big. Another genuinely heroic stop!
73 min: Meslier has had plenty of criticism lately, but now he feels the love of Elland Road after making a world-class double save from Iheanacho, who had been released down the left channel. He batters a low drive towards the bottom left. Meslier parries. Iheanacho tries again. He surely must score! But Meslier springs up like Denis Law in his prime and parries again. That’s out of this world, and while it technically doesn’t matter – the flag then goes up correctly for offside – the under-fire keeper gets the plaudits he so richly deserves.
72 min: Elland Road has been bubbling away all evening, though it’s getting a little bit quieter now as the anxiety kicks in. A huge 20 minutes, potentially season-defining, coming up.
70 min: Leicester make a double change, replacing the very quiet pair of Tete and Barnes with Daka and Vardy. Meanwhile here’s Kári Tulinius with more on that decisive penalty at Molineux: “Johnstone’s tackle on Neto to give away the penalty was comically daft. He miscontrolled the ball and lunged studs-up, going over the ball. That he touched the ball probably saved him from a straight red, but he’d have had no grounds for complaint if he’d been sent off. The weird thing is that he could’ve thrown himself at the ball to grab it.”
69 min: Leeds make their second change of the evening, replacing Rodrigo with Aaronson.
68 min: Harrison swings the free kick into the mixer. Leicester half clear. McKennie meets the dropping ball and slices it wildly into the stand behind the goal.
67 min: Back at Elland Road, Tielemans becomes the latest player to be booked as he hangs out a leg to bring down Summerville, dribbling in from the left flank. A free kick just outside the box. Leeds load it. Harrison to take.
FULL TIME: Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-0 Crystal Palace. That should see Wolves safe on 37 points. Palace were already there.
GOAL! Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-0 Crystal Palace (Neves 90+4 pen). It’s not quite over at Wolves … but it is all over. Palace keeper Johnstone takes a heavy touch while attempting to play out, and catches Neto as he lunges to retrieve the situation. Neves slots the resulting penalty into the bottom right, and is then booked for celebrating with his shirt off. That’s football!
Updated
62 min: When that corner was sent in, the ball reared up off Barnes and onto the arm of Bamford. VAR has a quick look, but there’s nothing doing. It would have been a preposterous ruling, even by recent refereeing standards.
61 min: Maddison wedges an uncharacteristically weak free kick into the Leeds wall, and the ball deflects out for a corner, from which nothing comes.
Updated
60 min: … but Leicester come again, and Iheanacho dribbles down the inside-right channel only to be bodychecked by Cooper, who is now the latest name in the ref’s notebook. A free kick in a very dangerous position, just to the right of the D.
59 min: Leicester continue to press and win a corner down the right. Cooper heads clear, then Tielemans passes the ball out carelessly for a pressure-releasing throw.
57 min: Leicester continue to hog possession, but in the sterile style. They’re going nowhere. But then suddenly Castagne fizzes a low cross in from the right. Faes attempts to flick on. Iheanacho recycles possession to the left of the goal, right on the byline. In fact the ball looks out, but the referee waves play on. The ball’s pulled back for Barnes, who opens his body and aims for the top right. The ball sails high and wide. VAR might have ruled any goal out.
55 min: Leicester knock it around the middle but to little effect. Leeds seem pretty happy to sit back and let them have it.
53 min: Roca whacks Maddison’s ankle from behind and can’t complain when he goes into the referee’s notebook. Every ball has been contested by both teams from the get-go. It’s not been a particularly ill-tempered game, yet it wouldn’t be a huge surprise if someone walks having misjudged a challenge for a second time.
52 min: Soumare takes a heavy touch in the centre circle, then skittles Roca as he attempts to retrieve the ball. Into the book he goes.
50 min: A huge chance for Rodrygo as Soumare misjudges the bounce of the ball on the edge of his box, allowing the Leeds man to dribble infield from the left. He should shoot early, but hesitates, drops a shoulder once, then twice, then slams a weak shot into the nearest defender. A quicker shot would have surely put Iversen to work.
49 min: McKennie gives Bamford something to chase down the right but Faes wins that footrace. Bamford then comes again down the middle, only for Soumare to refuse to budge. The final act of Bamford’s 60-second triptych sees the striker shoot from the left-hand edge of the D. Soyuncu blocks.
47 min: A scrappy, understated start to the second half. Leeds are two minutes closer to a precious three-point haul.
Leeds get the second half underway. No changes at the break.
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HALF TIME: Leeds United 1-0 Leicester City
The whistle goes, and as things stand, there’s suddenly a little bit of separation between Leeds and the drop zone.
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | Leeds | 33 | -20 | 32 |
| 17 | Leicester | 33 | -14 | 28 |
| 18 | Everton | 32 | -22 | 28 |
| 19 | Nottm Forest | 32 | -33 | 27 |
| 20 | Southampton | 32 | -29 | 24 |
45 min +4: A diminuendo end to the half.
45 min +2: … and Bamford heads it clear.
45 min +1: Faes beckenbauers his way down the right and draws a foul from Rodrigo, who goes into the book for persistent offending. Maddison will take the resulting free kick.
45 min: There will be four added minutes.
44 min: Leicester come again and win a corner down the right. Tete swings it in. Harrison miscues an attempt at a volleyed clearance, but Cooper gets the job done with his head.
43 min: Barnes requires a bit of patching up. When he’s back up and running, Tielemans loops the free kick towards the edge of the Leeds box. The home side hold their shape and there’s no way through for Leicester, despite the refurbished Barnes’s probing down the right.
41 min: Ayling is booked for a late slide into the side of Barnes. He wins the ball, but tackles with enough force to catch Barnes’s ankle with his follow through. Ayling complains, though you can tell his heart’s not really in the argument. A fair cop.
40 min: The game turns scrappy. The pressure of a relegation battle writ large.
38 min: Ayling is involved again, this time down the other end, as he puts a stop to a game of head tennis in the Leeds box. Leicester have had plenty of possession in the Leeds half, but haven’t given Meslier too much work to do.
37 min: Ayling sends a cross into the mixer from the right with the outside of his foot. The ball nearly drops to Bamford, who wasn’t his usual alert self. Faes is able to shepherd the cross out for a goal kick. Ayling’s delivery deserved better.
36 min: Leicester ping it around awhile in the Leeds half. Iheanacho flaps a hand in the vague environs of McKennie’s face, and the Leeds man takes the opportunity to purchase a cheap free kick to release the pressure that’s building. Down he goes, holding his face, though there wasn’t much in it. Iheanacho protests his innocence and nothing more is made of it.
34 min: Leeds are snapping into every tackle. It’s proper Lives Depend On It stuff. Meanwhile the half-time whistle has sounded at Villa Park, and it’s Aston Villa 1-0 Fulham.
Updated
32 min: Sinisterra is replaced by Summerville.
30 min: Rodrigo nearly sends Bamford clear down the middle. Just a bit too much on the pass and Leicester can deal with it. Meanwhile Sinisterra, having just come back on, is down again. He took a whack on the ankle when challenged by Soyuncu and won’t be able to continue.
29 min: Sinisterra is helped up and off the field of play. Not sure whether he can continue yet. As he’s evaluated by the medical staff, Maddison sends something that’s neither shot nor cross harmlessly wide left of the Leeds goal. The home crowd were much more receptive to that one.
27 min: Sinisterra goes over Soyuncu’s leg. No foul, no free kick, no stop in play. The home fans therefore aren’t happy when Leicester go up the other end through Maddison, who is taken down just outside the box by the clumsy Firpo. A free kick just to the right of the D when Sinisterra gets back up.
26 min: Leicester have now gone 18 Premier League matches without a clean sheet.
25 min: Roca tries to release Harrison down the middle. Iversen races out of his box to head clear, but the ball only drops to Ayling out on the right. The crowd urge him to shoot. He’s almost on the halfway line, but gives it a go anyway. He doesn’t quite get enough oomph behind the speculative rake, and by the time it bobbles into the box, Iversen is back to gather. All good knockabout fun.
24 min: … and does so poorly, hanging up an easy-to-pluck ball for Iversen. Leicester attempt to counter, and Rodrigo is fortunate not to go into the book after clattering into Tielemans from behind in a fairly physical manner that brooks no nonsense.
23 min: Soumare skittles Harrison out on the Leeds right. Roca will stick this free kick into the mixer.
22 min: That’s got Elland Road bouncing. Meanwhile it’s half-time at Molineux, where Wolves lead Palace 1-0.
GOAL! Leeds United 1-0 Leicester City (Sinisterra 20)
McKennie plays a cute reverse pass down the inside-right channel to release Harrison into a bit of space. Harrison cuts inside and curls deep towards Sinisterra, who bombs in from deep and rises highest to head down and into the bottom left! Iversen had no chance! What a lovely goal!
Updated
19 min: … so having said that, you know how these things pan out, don’t you?
17 min: Cooper becomes the third Leeds man to play a piss-poor ball out from the back. Iheanacho tears down the right and crosses long for Maddison, who sliding in can’t quite prod into the bottom left. Inches wide, and Leeds can consider themselves very fortunate not to be a couple of goals down already.
16 min: Harrison crosses from the right, having checked back to send Kristiansen off to the shops for a copy of the Post. His deep ball nearly finds Sinisterra six yards out, but the Leeds man can’t connect.
15 min: Roca’s dismal ball out from the back is intercepted and suddenly Barnes is sent racing down the inside-left channel. He’s one on one with Meslier, but the keeper doesn’t need to make a save, because Cooper comes across to block bravely. Roca’s turn to get away with one.
13 min: Soumare, not in the least bit downhearted by his role in the disallowed goal, sprays a glorious left-to-right pass towards Tete, nearly releasing his team-mate on the opposite flank. Leicester are the better side right now.
11 min: That’s a huge escape for Leeds. Nobody in white made any sort of appeal for the offside; it was all down to the VAR’s own detective work. Disallowed goal of the season.
GOAL! Aston Villa 1-0 Fulham (Mings 21). A breakthrough at Villa Park, too, but this one stands. A corner sent in from the right. Mings rises highest at the near stick and eyebrows across goal and into the top-left corner!
Updated
NO GOAL: Leeds United 0-0 Leicester City
… but VAR gets involved! Soumare had prodded the ball back towards Tielemans. Only problem was, he’d started his run from an offside position in the six-yard box after Maddison’s initial delivery had been flicked on by Faes. It’s the correct decision, but what a shame for Tielemans, who scored a goal every bit as good as the one that won the FA Cup for Leicester a couple of years ago.
Updated
WHAT A GOAL! Leeds United 0-1 Leicester City (Tielemans 7)
Wow. This is a screamer. Maddison’s corner is only half cleared. The ball breaks to Tielemans, just to the right of the D. He meets it first time and the ball flies at supersonic speed into the top-left corner!
Updated
6 min: Maddison and Barnes combine down the left to earn Leicester’s first corner of the evening. Maddison saunters over to take it.
5 min: This match is being played at 101 miles per hour, and in a very entertaining way to boot. Ayling swings a ball in from the right and nearly finds Bamford, six yards out, but Faes reads the danger well and gets in the road to blooter clear.
4 min: Rodrigo plays a loose backpass and for a second it looks as though Iheanacho will tear clear on goal. Fortunately for Leeds, before a farce can unfold, Iheanacho skittles Cooper and the whistle goes for a free kick. Lucky Rodrigo gets out of jail free.
2 min: Maddison is immediately in the wars, having been crunched by Firpo on the halfway line in uncompromising style. But he’s soon up and smiling again. An early sign that the points on the line tonight will be hotly contested.
Leicester get the ball rolling. A huge roar that’ll be heard all the way down the M1. “Right, Leeds,” begins Justin Kavanagh. “I’ve put on my oldest 70s suit, walked to the local lamppost and back (twice), and urinated in all four corners of my back garden here in Philadelphia. The rest is up to you, and let’s hope the neighbours understand (given local teams have lost four finals in the last year here).”
The teams are out at Elland Road! Leeds in their Revie-Real-influened white, Leicester wearing first-choice royal blue. The ear-piercing piccolo of Marching On Together fills the air. A heady mix of anticipation and trepidation is palpable. Football is fun! We’ll be off in a minute.
Pre-match postbag o’anxiety. “Should I be rooting for a draw?” wonders Brad Wilson. “My best mate is a Leeds supporter. I’d prefer both Everton and Leeds stay up, but if my beloved Toffees have to go down I hope Leeds stays up for my friend. If it’s between Leeds and Everton, well, my friend, sorry.”
Sadly for Brad, his fellow Evertonian Matt Burtz has no answers. “I watch this one with great interest. Obviously the easiest thing for Everton to do is win some games, but let’s not go crazy here, so I sit here wondering what the best outcome is. I think it’s a draw in that it would mean that Everton could pass both of them by beating Newcastle on Thursday (please don’t laugh), but a Leeds win would set up a monumental six-pointer at the King Power on Monday. And I suppose a Leicester win keeps Leeds within striking distance. It’s all quite stressful and I don’t like it one bit.”
There’s nearly a stunning start for Fulham at Villa Park. Pereira meets a right-wing cross with a bicycle kick that nearly flies into the top-right corner of Martinez’s net. That wasn’t far away at all; had it gone in, it would have been clocked at 18 seconds.
Javi Gracia speaks to BT. “I expect the best of all of them … we know how important this game is … it is massive … we need the points … we have not had much time to prepare this game … it’s been more about mentally preparing, not too much on the pitch … the last three games were hard to accept … we did it well before … we have had good results and good performances before and today we expect the same … we need energy … I always expect the best of my rivals, they are a very good team with very good players but we try to focus on ourselves.”
GOAL! Wolves 1-0 Crystal Palace (Andersen og 3). A super-fast start for Wolves at Molineux. Silva nearly slots into the bottom right on the turn, only for Johnstone to save. But from the resulting corner, swung in by Neves, Andersen, rushing back towards his own goal, knees powerfully off the underside of the bar and in!
Updated
Dean Smith talks to BT Sport. “It’s a huge night for both clubs … both are in a position we don’t want to be in … we had a good result at the weekend … it means nothing if we don’t put in a performance and put in a result tonight as well.”
Leeds make four changes to the side that started the 2-1 defeat at Fulham on Saturday. Patrick Bamford, Luke Ayling, Luis Sinisterra and Junior Firpo replace Brenden Aaronson, Crysencio Summerville and Rasmus Kristensen, who drop to the bench, and Max Wober, who is out injured.
Leicester make two changes to their starting XI after the 2-1 win over Wolves last weekend. James Maddison and Harvey Barnes return from illness and injury respectively, so Patson Daka and Jamie Vardy drop to the bench.
The teams
Leeds United: Meslier, Ayling, Firpo, Cooper, Koch, Roca, McKennie, Harrison, Sinisterra, Rodrigo, Bamford.
Subs: Robles, Struijk, Kristensen, Forshaw, Greenwood, Aaronson, Summerville, Gnonto, Gerorgino.
Leicester City: Iversen, Castagne, Soyuncu, Faes, Kristiansen, Soumare, Tielemans, Maddison, Tete, Barnes, Iheanacho.
Subs: Ward, Souttar, Amartey, Mendy, Ndidi, Dewsbury-Hall, Praet, Daka, Vardy.
Referee: Paul Tierney (Lancashire).
📋 Your #LUFC Starting XI... pic.twitter.com/pmq7h5ClkO
— Leeds United (@LUFC) April 25, 2023
Our XI, one hour until kick-off! 🦊#LEELEI pic.twitter.com/kB9YoZzUMH
— Leicester City (@LCFC) April 25, 2023
The team news is in for the two other Premier League games being played tonight. Villa welcome back Emi Martinez, briefly waylaid against Brentford with a tummy bug, while Dan James returns for Fulham. Meanwhile at Molineux, Mario Lemina passes a fitness test on his hamstring, while Crystal Palace captain Luka Milivojevic returns to the starting line-up.
Aston Villa: Martinez, Moreno, Mings, Konsa, Young, Luiz, McGinn, Dendoncker, Ramsey, Buendia, Watkins.
Subs: Olsen, Sinisalo, Carlos, Chambers, Digne, Duran, Revan, O’Reilly, Traore.
Fulham: Leno, Robinson, Ream, Adarbioyo, Tete, Palhinha, Reed, Willian, Pereira, Wilson, James.
Subs: Rodak, Duffy, Soares, De Cordova-Reid, Cairney, Solomon, Lukic, Diop, Vinicius.
Wolverhampton Wanderers: Sa, Semedo, Dawson, Kilman, Bueno, Nunes, Neves, Lemina, Hwang, Cunha, Costa.
Subs: Bentley, Collins, Neto, Podence, Sarabia, Toti, Moutinho, Gomes, Traore.
Crystal Palace: Johnstone, Richards, Andersen, Guehi, Mitchell, Milivojevic, Lokonga, Hughes, Olise, Eze, Ayew.
Subs: Guaita, Ward, Tomkins, Mateta, Schlupp, McArthur, Edouard, Doucoure, Riedewald.
Preamble
There’s no point yammering on. This sets everything up just perfectly …
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | Leeds | 32 | -21 | 29 |
| 17 | Leicester | 32 | -13 | 28 |
| 18 | Everton | 32 | -22 | 28 |
| 19 | Nottm Forest | 32 | -33 | 27 |
| 20 | Southampton | 32 | -29 | 24 |
The big relegation clash at Elland Road kicks off at 8pm GMT. We’ll also be keeping tabs on the latest scores in the other two Premier League matches tonight, one of which kind of has a vague relegation theme to it, the other not at all. Wolverhampton Wanderers v Crystal Palace kicks off at 7.30pm, Aston Villa v Fulham at 7.45pm. A triple-header for your pleasure is on. It’s on!
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Chelsea | 31 | -3 | 39 |
| 12 | Crystal Palace | 32 | -9 | 37 |
| 13 | West Ham | 31 | -8 | 34 |
| 14 | Wolverhampton | 32 | -17 | 34 |
| 15 | AFC Bournemouth | 32 | -32 | 33 |
