Jaka Bijol stupid, unlikely teammate hero of comeback – Leeds player ratings vs Chelsea
Leeds United managed to secure a point against Chelsea in the Premier League on Tuesday.
Daniel Farke was without Dominic Calvert-Lewin, and the German manager relied on Lukas Nmecha up front, with the striker finding the back of the net from the spot in the second half.
However, it was a difficult start for the West Yorkshire outfit, and Joao Pedro had a few opportunities at Stamford Bridge against Leeds before scoring the opener in the 24th minute.
Jaka Bijol then pushed the Brazilian striker in the 56th minute, leading to a penalty for the hosts, which Cole Palmer slotted, but Nmecha and Noah Okafor subsequently equalised for the visitors in the 2-2 draw.
Jaka Bijol lets teammates down in Leeds United draw vs Chelsea
Farke has been without Bijol due to injury, but the Slovenia international finally started against Chelsea.
The defender had a slow start to his career at the Whites, but has quickly become a key player at Elland Road after the switch to a 5-3-2 formation from Farke.
Bijol was arguably stupid to push Pedro on his back when the striker was going away from goal, and the centre-back’s overall performance was underwhelming.
It seemed like the 27-year-old had a lapse in judgment that eventually cost his teammates and gave the Blues a two-goal advantage at a pivotal point in the game, and it could be costly in the grand scheme of things, as the Peacocks could’ve gotten three points instead of one.
Another defender who was rubbish was Sebastiaan Bornauw, who started because Pascal Struijk was unavailable, and the Belgian defender’s struggles are evident in his Sofascore graphic above.
Jayden Bogle unstoppable at Stamford Bridge
Jayden Bogle was mesmerising against Nottingham Forest and was once again rewarded for being a constant threat against Chelsea.
The right-back played in a rather unorthodox position in the middle of the park, with James Justin at right-wing-back, and won the penalty that started the comeback for the West Yorkshire outfit.
Bogle was subsequently the reason Noah Okafor found the back of the net, with the 25-year-old Englishman giving the Blues’ defence all sorts of problems before the Swiss national beat Robert Sanchez.
The defender has been in inspiring form for the Elland Road side and was the unlikely hero, with Farke showing once again his capabilities to change things for the good when the going gets tough.
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Leeds United player ratings vs Chelsea
Karl Darlow – 5
James Justin – 7
Sebastiaan Bornauw – 3
Jaka Bijol – 4
Joe Rodon – 6
Gabriel Gudmundsson – 6
Ethan Ampadu – 6
Ilia Gruev – 5
Jayden Bogle – 9
Brenden Aaronson – 6
Lukas Nmecha – 8
Substitutes:
Noah Okafor – 7
Daniel James – 5