Leeds United player ratings: 9/10 Ilia Gruev the star as Whites beat Stoke City at Elland Road
Leeds United secured an important 1-0 win at home to Stoke City to boost their promotion hopes.
Dan James’ deflected first-half strike was enough for Daniel Farke’s side to secure all three points.
The Whites are now on 76 points with 10 games left to play of the season as they look to secure an immediate return to the Premier League.
MOT Leeds News has rated each player’s performance out of 10…
Illan Meslier – 8
The Frenchman made some impressive saves, especially near the end, to help keep Leeds keep their lead.
Conor Roberts – 8
The January recruit put in a really solid performance and has made a great first impression for his new club.
Joe Rodon – 7
It was a decent enough showing from the Wales international in the heart of defence. He did the basics right and was a key factor behind the clean sheet.
Ethan Ampadu – 6
He has had better games in truth but was still adequate. The former Chelsea man has been largely consistent in this campaign so can be let off the hook.
Sam Byram – 8
The full-back played well and dealt with everything that came his way. It could have been an awkward night for him up against the pace of Stoke winger Million Manhoef but he didn’t get much of a sniff.
Glen Kamara – 5
He looked tired and he could do with a rest. The Finland international was overran a bit in the middle of the park which is probably due to the sheer number of games that come his side’s way.
Ilia Gruev the star of the show for Leeds United
Ilia Gruev – 9 (Man of the match)
The 23-year-old was cool, calm and collected in the heart of midfield. He helps Leeds tick and is the source of a lot of their counterattacks as they look to get up the pitch as quickly as possible.
Dan James – 9
His goal could prove to be an important one for the Whites. The winger’s pace and power gave the Potters some issues and he can take a lot of confidence from his performance.
Georginio Rutter – 5
The attacker was a bit sloppy for the hosts and gave the ball away on a fair few occasions. He’s had a great campaign but it wouldn’t be a surprise if he is out of the starting XI in the next game just to freshen things up.
Crysencio Summerville – 5
He didn’t really look himself and was off the pace slightly. The forward needed to be sharper and was kept quiet by the Potters.
Patrick Bamford – 5
The striker could have scored in the first half but again, wasn’t able to make much of an impact. He went off in the second half.
Substitutions:
Junior Firpo – 5
Joel Piroe – 5
Archie Gray – 6
Wilfried Gnonto – 6
Mateo Joseph – 6
In other Leeds United news, a first-team player is on a streak not seen at Elland Road in close to a century.
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