Leeds United: Lee Dixon slams Chelsea youngster Alfie Gilchrist after what happened at Stamford Bridge
Lee Dixon has hit out at 20-year-old Chelsea defender Alfie Gilchrist at the start of their FA Cup fifth-round victory against Leeds United.
The former Arsenal defender was highly critical of the youngster who struggled to get a hold of his man and was “all over the place” throughout the first half in a poor start at Stamford Bridge.
It was clear during the first half of the game that Daniel James was looking to use his pace to cause issues for the inexperienced Gilchrist in the 3-2 defeat.
Commentating live on ITV4 [28 February, 19:39], Dixon shared: “He spins Gilchrist into the hole. There’s a little shove there but it’s not a foul he just puts him off balance, but it’s good.
“Going to the ball and just spinning into the hole, Gilchrist is just all over the place.”
Alfie Gilchrist struggled for Chelsea v Leeds United
Dixon’s heavy criticism of the young defender may have been a bit overly harsh given the frantic start to the FA Cup tie, and shortly before the visitors found the lead after eight minutes, Gilchrist was struggling to keep up.
James is far from an easy opponent for any defender to mark, let alone a 20-year-old with only a few senior appearances to his name, with his devastating pace giving him the ability to decide games by himself.
The flying winger has drawn high praise for his performances so far this season, and while he may have been far from perfect in the defeat at Stamford Bridge, he caused constant issues for Gilchrist in the full-back position.
Leeds looked to make things difficult for Chelsea, largely through the outlet of James when they were able to get the ball to him, but they couldn’t take the win despite dominating large periods.
In other Leeds United news, Daniel Farke was dealt a key blow ahead of the game.
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