Here’s Simon Burnton’s report, which means it’s time for me to go home. Cheers for tuning in!
Tom Cleverley admits he’s a little disappointed having not got the win, but is also pretty pleased with that display. “They worked their socks off.” He diplomatically sidesteps whether Watford should have had a first-half penalty. He’s put in a decent audition for the full-time gig.
And so it’s time for a look at the table. It’s Ipswich’s fans who can properly celebrate tonight.
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ipswich | 39 | 32 | 84 |
| 2 | Leeds | 39 | 42 | 83 |
| 3 | Leicester | 38 | 40 | 82 |
| 4 | Southampton | 37 | 27 | 76 |
| 5 | West Brom | 39 | 23 | 67 |
Watford were superior in the first half but lost their venom in the second, though Leeds weren’t all that great either. Farke’s subs did a fine job for him, with Joseph scoring just seconds after coming on. In the end, they should be grateful for the creativity of Summerville, who was scorer and creator, and the man who kept resuscitating his side whenever they lost their way.
FULL-TIME: Watford 2-2 Leeds
And breathe. Leeds’s unbeaten streak continues.
90+6 min: Porteous takes down Anthony out on Leeds’ right. Here’s a free-kick and the last chance of the game … Anthony’s ball isn’t deep enough, only threatening the D, there’s a handball shout and then a throw for Leeds on the left … Watford clear and the final whistle finally blows.
90+5 min: Porteous is down again after a foul from Dan James, and he’ll happily soak in the time.
90+4 min: Ampadu launches a long throw, but that and a Summerville cross are handled well enough by Watford.
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90+3 min: Porteous is wriggling around in pain inside the Watford box, after Anthony collided with him.
90+2 min: Pollock gives away a free-kick to Leeds who opt to play it short rather than get it into the mix.
90+1 min: We’ve got five minutes added on as Leeds pile on, looking for a winner.
90 min: Joseph gets on the end of a tidy through ball into the box but a foul goes Watford’s way.
89 min: Leeds push forward again, the excellent Firpo going down to win a foul.
87 min: It’s all happening now, with Anthony’s shot well saved by Bachmann. The Leeds subs are causing havoc!
Summerville creates it, jinking into the box from the left wing he has commanded all game, the low cross expertly left by Firpo for Joseph to shoot from close range, the ball blocked but the rebound tucked away. Leeds, somehow, are level.
Updated
GOAL! Watford 2-2 Leeds (Joseph 85)
Bundled in by the sub!
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84 min: Byram is replaced by Anthony, and Kamara goes off for Joseph. Leeds are into the endgame now.
83 min: Summerville lays off the ball for Firpo to cross in from the left, but Watford deal with it.
82 min: Gray tries to slide a ball through the middle into the Watford box but is cut off.
80 min: Bamford flicks the ball into Firpo’s path, who nearly has Piroe through on goal … but the No 7 can’t get the crucial touch to bring the ball under control inside the box. Ince comes on for Asprilla.
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77 min: Lewis, who has been a livewire for Watford today, goes down and it looks like he’s going to go off for Morris.
76 min: There’s a bit of pinball inside the D outside the Watford box but there’s no space opening up for a Leeds shot.
75 min: Dele-Bashiru shows off some silky footwork in the middle to drift past Leeds shirts and goes down, though doesn’t get the call for a foul.
74 min: Rutter is off for Leeds, Piroe replacing him.
73 min: Bamford drops deep to try and link Leeds’ passing together but it just isn’t clicking for them, with Watford happy to work hard off the ball.
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71 min: Leeds are passing it sideways, no one really threatening to play the killer ball through the lines.
69 min: James tries to skin Porteous out on the right but is dealt with. James gets the ball again for a cross that doesn’t threaten.
67 min: The game has entered a bit of a lull … and then Summerville gets the ball. He finds James on the right who cuts in and curls a shot that goes into the hands of the keeper but could have been diverted in by Bamford, who slid in late looking for the final touch.
65 min: Kayembe has space in midfield to pick out the sprinting Bayo, but the ball is overhit and Meslier cleans up for Leeds.
63 min: A game of foot volley ensues inside the Leeds box, with the goal never under any real threat. Liam Cooper is off for Junior Firpo.
62 min: Now it’s Watford’s turn to break, with Kayembe playing a neat ball to Lewis, whose cross goes out for a corner.
61 min: Leeds break after an ambitious Porteous shot. They win a corner out on the left …
60 min: Leeds work it around the back, but Lewis presses well out on the left for Watford to disrupt Gray.
58 min: Dennis is heading off, which is a shame, and on comes Ismael Kone for Watford.
55 min: Rutter fires a hopeful shot from outside the box that is deflected and goes out for a Leeds corner.
53 min: Leeds have a free-kick out on the right, one for Summerville to curl into the box … the ball looks to be heading out but it’s put back in for Byram to head at goal … but the initial punt from Summerville is ruled to have gone out.
51 min: Byram plays in Summerville, who pokes a shot … that Bachmann fends away with one hand for a corner.
50 min: Watford play the ball nicely around the back, and then work their way fluently to Lewis on the left, whose cross inside the box is blocked out for a throw.
48 min: A corner for Watford and Pollock heads … just wide. Not a bad effort.
47 min: Summerville is electric once again, beating his man out on the left and sliding into the box … but he can’t get in a cross/nail a shot.
46 min: And we’re back, back, back, back again.
“It would be remiss of me if I didn’t follow up on your mentioning some of the Leeds players’ international disappointment with news of Watford players’ successes,” writes Mac Millings. “Yaser Asprilla scored Colombia’s third - and ultimately winning - goal against Romania, and Giorgi Chakvetadze’s Georgia made it to the Euros for the first time. Although the less said about how the week turned out for Ryan Porteous and Scotland, the better.”
HALF-TIME: Watford 2-1 Leeds
The whistle goes and it’s been Watford’s half. Not only do they lead but they look energy-drink powered while Leeds have come out all chamomile. Summerville scored a staggering goal to level things up but Dennis decided to upstage him with a lovely solo effort of his own.
45+2 min: Andrews bursts down the right for Watford, beating Summerville before Kamara puts it out for a Watford throw. The home fans are loving the energy of Tom Cleverley’s side.
45+1 min: Three minutes are added on to a half that has come alive in the last 15.
Dennis dances down the right, chops the ball into the box, toys with Liam Cooper, pulling off the stepovers before shaping the ball onto his left foot to curl into the bottom corner past Meslier. A sublime goal.
GOAL! Watford 2-1 Leeds (Dennis 44)
And they’re back in front!
Updated
44 min: Pollock gets a head on it for Watford but is falling as he does, with the ball looping nicely for Meslier to easily collect.
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43 min: Asprilla has space to drive forward and laces a low shot that is deflected out for a corner …
42 min: Lewis, lively down the left for Watford, whips yet another cross into the box that Leeds just about deal with.
40 min: Lewis breaks forward for Watford and nearly slides the ball in for Bayo to latch onto inside the box … Cooper is there in time to clear it out for a corner.
Updated
Leeds needed that desperately and what a stunner this is. Summerville has the ball out on the left, one-on-one with Andrews. He cuts inside into the box and curls it beautifully into the top right corner. A gorgeous, gorgeous finish that makes up for Leeds’ lacklustre performance so far.
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GOAL! Watford 1-1 Leeds (Summerville 37)
Wow.
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36 min: Leeds continue to play awry passes, with James getting a simple ball to Bamford wrong.
34 min: Ampadu’s loose touch from a Meslier pass nearly costs Leeds big time – Dennis is pretty much through for a one-on-one but Rodon comes to the rescue with a terrific sliding challenge. Leeds need to wake up.
GOAL! Watford 1-0 Leeds (Bayo 31)
Byram intercepts in the middle for Leeds but is then brushed off the ball by Kayembe who sets up the attack. Lewis then plays Asprilla the ball on the left, who then cuts back into the box for Dennis to shoot … Meslier pulls off a fine save but Bayo volleys in the rebound with serious power.
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29 min: Bamford drops deep to get on the ball and pull off a nice turn to outwit his marker.
28 min: Dennis has looked a bit of a menace so far (forgive me), trying to cause Leeds problems on the right.
27 min: Watford have a corner from the left, their umpteenth so far, and Leeds clear it well.
26 min: Rutter is hurt by Porteous in the middle of the pitch and, I’ll level with you, this game hasn’t been all that pretty so far.
23 min: Ampadu feeds the driving Byram, who finds Summerville … who is offside.
22 min: Bamford has had just a couple of touches so far, with the Leeds centre forward yet to get into the game.
21 min: Byram has space out on the left for Leeds, with Summerville continuing to look for pockets to pick up the ball in and cut inside.
19 min: Watford have a corner after a cross from the left is blocked … there’s a foul in the box and Leeds have a free-kick.
18 min: Leeds are finally finding their flow, with Rutter firing a cross in from the left before Summerville tries to dance his way around the edge of the box to let a shot fly – Watford shirts surround him to halt any potential damage.
16 min: Elton is in the house. And here comes a Rocket from my Man (forced, I know) Summerville, nearly curling the ball into the bottom right corner. Bachmann pulls off a fine save to tip it round the post. The corner doesn’t cause Watford any trouble.
14 min: Sierralta cleans up nicely at the back for Watford, who have begun stronger here. But as I type, James picks up the ball and turns on the jet-pack, skipping through with his electric pace before getting floored by a yellow-and-black shirt. No foul given, and the show goes on.
12 min: Dennis spins brilliantly in midfield to drive forward and play a ball out to the right to Andrews. The cross into the box is low and Asprilla goes down under a challenge from Ampadu! There’s an appeal for a penalty but it doesn’t go Watford’s way.
10 min: Leeds finally find themselves in Watford’s half, with James finding a bit of space to drive through the middle. Bamford can’t nail the return ball for the one-two to the Welshman, however, ending a promising attack.
8 min: … And now a corner from the left, with Byram putting it out for Leeds. It’s cleared away but Meslier then gets a kick all wrong to let Watford attack once again, although Dennis’ ball slides out for a goalkick.
7 min: Andrews helps Watford win a corner out on the right …
5 min: Rather turgid at the moment, with the first bit of drama a little scuffle between Kayembe and Summerville. The Leeds winger wasn’t best pleased by Kayembe’s pressure, with Summerville shoving the Watford man after winning a foul.
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4 min: Watford press up high to disrupt Leeds as the visitors try to play out from the back, with Ampadu operating in midfield.
3 min: Watford dominate the early possession, sliding their passes from right to left.
2 min: Rodon cuts off a Watford attack down the left before Dennis tries to drive into the box for the hosts.
Peep!
Watford in black and yellow, Leeds in all white. Elton John plays in the background and then comes the whistle. Let’s play!
OK, the players are on their way out – we’ll be up and running pretty soon.
Daniel Farke is asked about the Wales trio in his XI and how they’re doing – “That’s sport, you have to deal with some disappointment.” He’s more concerned with the injuries his squad are dealing with, with the important Willy Gnonto and Ilia Gruev among the names missing today.
And it’s all over at Ewood Park, with Ipswich winning 1-0 to go top of the Championship table. Leeds will have to win tonight to go back to No 1.
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ipswich | 39 | 32 | 84 |
| 2 | Leeds | 38 | 42 | 82 |
| 3 | Leicester | 38 | 40 | 82 |
| 4 | Southampton | 37 | 27 | 76 |
| 5 | West Brom | 39 | 23 | 67 |
Here’s everything that’s been happening elsewhere in the Champo. Ipswich are still 1-0 up against Blackburn, with not long left.
Of course, worth noting that there are a few names in that Leeds line-up who suffered heartbreak during the internationals: Joe Rodon, Ethan Ampadu and Dan James all featured in Wales’ playoff loss to Poland, with James missing in the penalty shootout. A tough one to get over, sure, but Rodon and Ampadu have been a sparkling pair at the back together while James has 12 goals this season. Here’s to what’s next.
The teams
Here they are …
𝗧𝗘𝗔𝗠 𝗡𝗘𝗪𝗦 🌠
— Watford Football Club (@WatfordFC) March 29, 2024
Cleverley's first home selection. #WatfordFC | @SkyBetChamp pic.twitter.com/WA51pjX2bh
📋Your #LUFC Starting XI... pic.twitter.com/0AJUSFf05M
— Leeds United (@LUFC) March 29, 2024
Preamble
Hello, hello, hello and welcome to coverage of Leeds United’s trip to Watford. It’s all going rather well for the boys from Elland Road, having gone 13 games unbeaten in the league, 12 of those wins, overturning Leicester’s 17-point lead at the top in the process. Wild.
Meanwhile Watford have been doing what Watford do best: sacking the boss. Valérien Ismaël is their latest managerial departure, with Tom Cleverley in as interim – that’s one to make you feel old. Cleverley began his stint in charge with a 1-0 win over Birmingham but his first game at Vicarage Road isn’t going to be easy. Leeds won the reverse fixture earlier in the season 3-0 and Daniel Farke seems to love winning the Championship; he won’t settle for stopping at 13.
Kick-off is at 8pm GMT (BST, can’t wait to see you boo). Drop me a line with your thoughts, worries, weekend plans, whatever. Cheers!
