Mark Smith

Sat 23 November 2019 17:33, UK

Leeds United travelled to Luton Town on Saturday afternoon looking to continue their fine form from before the international break.

The Whites secured back-to-back wins against QPR and Blackburn, but despite that Marcelo Bielsa made two changes. Pablo Hernandez and Gaetano Berardi were brought into the starting line up at Kenilworth Road.

Leeds took the lead through Patrick Bamford, but the joy didn’t last long as James Collins quickly equalised for the hosts.

It was the away side who pushed for a winner towards the end of the game, and they got what they deserved when a low ball was put into his own goal by Matty Pearson.

Here are our ratings from the 2-1 win on Saturday…

1. Kiko Casilla – 7
The Spaniard was let down by his defence for Luton’s goal, but outside of that, he was his usual solid self in between the sticks. Casilla made a number of vital saves in-and-around that equaliser and made sure that we remained in the contest after the home side were given a massive boost by their goal.

2. Luke Ayling – 5
Once again, Ayling seemed to struggle when moved into a central role in a back three. The right-back lost his man against Blackburn for their goal, and he did the exact same on Saturday, easily being beaten by Collins who didn’t need a second invitation to head in Izzy Brown’s wicked ball into the box.

3. Gaetano Berardi – 5
The Swiss enforcer’s afternoon was summed up by being dragged off by Bielsa midway through the second half. Against a Luton side that possesses great physicality, having Liam Cooper on the bench could have left Leeds weakened at set-pieces and from balls into the box. Berardi was bullied at times and it meant that we couldn’t grasp control of the game at certain points.

4. Ben White – 7
White was his usual calm self once again in the win. The Brighton loanee was the standout defender against the Hatters and coped well with most things thrown his way. There was much more responsibility on his shoulders to recycle possession given the absence of Cooper alongside him, and he did just that from the back as we pushed for that all-important winner.

5. Stuart Dallas – 6

The Northern Ireland international has a great engine on him, and he proved that as the game went into the latter stages. Dallas was pushed into midfield at times against Luton, and we caused massive problems when he added an extra man in the final third. His shooting was once again questionable as he fired numerous efforts into the stands.

6. Kalvin Phillips – 6
Phillips has set the standards so high for himself that Saturday’s outing could be classed as disappointing. The holding midfielder was beaten by Brown on a number of occasions at Kenilworth Road, and that is unlike him. Another factor of his game that has seen us improve massively is his set-piece ability. The 23-year-old hit the first man a couple of times and that could have made a real difference.

7. Mateusz Klich – 7
This was much more like it from the Polish international, who pressed from the front superbly alongside the likes of Dallas. Klich also got into dangerous positions in the final third, and if it wasn’t for a number of smart saves, we could have seen him on the scoresheet once again in the Championship.

8. Pablo Hernandez – 7
A solid return to action for Hernandez after he signed a new two-year deal in the build-up to the game. The Spaniard made a difference and got on the ball at any given opportunity to try and carve open a stubborn Luton defence. He wasn’t back to his best, but we were much better with him on the pitch, and having him available as we approach the Christman period will be vital.

9. Patrick Bamford – 8
That goal against Blackburn would have given Bamford all the confidence in the world, but it would have meant nothing if he didn’t follow it up. He did just that against Luton, taking his goal superbly as well as putting great pressure on Pearson in added time for the winner. The former Middlesbrough man is starting to find form at the perfect time, and keeping his form in the final third will be the key to further success between now and the end of the season.

10. Tyler Roberts – 5
After a quiet international break with Wales, Roberts kept his place on Saturday. The young forward wasn’t his usual self in the final third, and it was Klich who popped up more in dangerous situations in the first hour of the game. He was replaced by Jack Clarke with Bielsa surely not impressed with the impact of Roberts compared to the likes of Bamford.

11. Jack Harrison – 6
Harrison did his best to affect the game in a positive manner, but it never really fell for the Whites’ loanee in critical areas. The winger spurned his one clear chance, as he got on the end of a rebound only to see his effort saved from close range. His afternoon was also cut short as he was replaced by Helder Costa.

Substitutions

Liam Cooper (For Berardi, 58 mins) 7
It was great to see captain Cooper return to the action so quickly after shaking off his knock. Leeds took control of the game once he came on and he really settled the nerves after Luton’s equalising goal.

Helder Costa (For Harrison, 64 mins) 6
Costa would have been disappointed to have been dropped after showing glimpses of promise against Blackburn. That didn’t prevent him from making an impact, as he created space on numerous occasions and forced James Shea into a couple of smart stops.

Jack Clarke (For Roberts, 70 mins) 5
Clarke was given the final 20 minutes to make an impact despite hardly being used this season in all competitions by Leeds. The young winger was much less effective than Costa off the bench and struggled to make a claim that he deserves more of a chance in the first team.

In other Leeds news, Exclusive: Bielsa tells Tottenham not to recall Clarke, has big plans for young attacker