Every word Wayne Rooney said about Leeds on Match of the Day after loss vs Tottenham – One player ‘should do better’
Leeds’ year-long unbeaten run at home in the league came to an end on Saturday when they were beaten 2-1 at Elland Road by Tottenham Hotspur.
Mohammed Kudus’ 57th-minute strike was enough for Spurs to take all three points against Leeds, who battled well throughout the 90 minutes as Storm Amy hit West Yorkshire.
Jayden Bogle shone despite Leeds’ loss to Tottenham, while Noah Okafor scored his second Premier League goal of the season.
Unfortunately for Leeds, Tottenham’s quality was too much for Daniel Farke‘s defence to handle and Wayne Rooney largely believes that the Whites manager will be happy with the overall performance against last season’s Europa League champions.
Wayne Rooney has his say on all of Leeds’ big chances vs Tottenham
Both Joe Rodon and Dominic Calvert-Lewin missed big chances for Leeds as they lost to Thomas Frank’s Spurs side on Saturday afternoon.
Rodon struck the post with a header early on, while Calvert-Lewin had multiple opportunities in front of goal for Leeds to seize at least a point at Elland Road.
Farke admitted after the game that Leeds missed too many chances in the game.
Former Manchester United star Rooney rued those missed chances while reacting to the footage of highlights from Leeds’ loss.
“Leeds were very unlucky to come away with no points,” Rooney said on Match of the Day on Saturday night. “I thought they created some good chances but they just weren’t clinical enough.
“We see here, early on, Rodon comes around the back, it’s a good ball and it’s a good header and he’s unlucky not to score.
“There’s really good pressure on the ball, they win the ball back high but Calvert-Lewin just can’t get the ball out of his feet and it’s not a great shot and he should do better.
“Again, here, I like this from Calvert-Lewin. He’s always occupying the back line. The first pass doesn’t come when maybe it should but he carries on to be a threat in the box.
“It’s a really good first touch and he’s unlucky with the shot.
“This is what we know Calvert-Lewin can do in the air – he’s a presence. There’s a really good chance and an excellent save.
| Leeds United | Stats | Tottenham Hotspur |
| 57% | Possession | 43% |
| 1.68 | Expected Goals | 0.53 |
| 16 | Total shots | 9 |
| 478 | Passes | 374 |
| 19 | Tackles | 15 |
| 10 | Fouls | 12 |
| 2 | Yellow cards | 3 |
“I think Daniel Farke will be really happy with the performance. They played well. They created chances but they just weren’t clinical enough.”
Wayne Rooney also responds to Gabby Logan’s Dominic Calvert-Lewin question
After Rooney finished his overall verdict on the game, Match of the Day host Gabby Logan specifically asked him about Calvert-Lewin.
Since joining Leeds on a free transfer in the summer following his release by Everton, the 28-year-old has scored once in six appearances and started each of Leeds’ last four Premier League games.
Part of the battle for him has been avoiding injury and staying fit.
And Rooney believes that if Calvert-Lewin does that, he can be a real asset for Farke going forward.
He said: “We all know Calvert-Lewin is a good player and the biggest issue has been keeping him fit.
“He’s started his career at Leeds well, he’s creating chances and if he stays fit, he’s a handful for any defender.”
Leeds now don’t have a game until 18 October when they head to Turf Moor to face Burnley, who were promoted alongside them from the Championship last season.
After that, West Ham will be welcomed to Elland Road on 24 October to see out the month.
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