Leeds United v Norwich City player ratings: Crysencio Summerville stars
Leeds United sealed a place in the play-off final by beating Norwich City 4-0 in the second leg of the semis at Elland Road on 16 May.
Ilia Gruev opened the scoring for the hosts with a direct free-kick that beat Angus Gunn and Joel Piroe made it two a few minutes later.
Georginio Rutter scored five minutes from half-time while Crysencio Summerville added a fourth in the second half.
Here are our player ratings from the game:
Illan Meslier – 6
Didn’t have too much to do as the Leeds defence and midfield rarely allowed Norwich to penetrate in the final third. He was pretty inaccurate with his long passes as he managed to complete just one out of 12 [Sofascore], but otherwise, he was a commanding presence who marshalled his defence well and made a crucial save too.
Archie Gray – 4
Played at right-back and showed a few moments of indecision that would not have impressed Daniel Fake. He lost the majority of his ground duels and did not seem to make the right choice of pass on a few occasions. Gray even lost possession nine times and that’s not something one would want from someone who’s tipped for big things in the future.
Joe Rodon – 7
Was imperious in the air as he won all five of his duels and gave Josh Sargent a tough time in the final third on Thursday night. Performed his defensive duties to the fullest and was calm and composed in possession. Another solid performance like that will see Leeds’ chances of returning to the Premier League increase that much more.
Ethan Ampadu – 7
Made four tackles and won the majority of his ground duels in what was a stellar defensive display. He complimented Rodon well at the back and was exceptional with the ball at his feet too, helping his side keep a clean sheet.
Junior Firpo – 7
The left-back was called into some defensive work as well and he was up to the task. He won the majority of his ground duels and aerial duels. He did provide an assist which may not get the headlines, but there was little to fault from his performance.
Ilia Gruev – 8
Scored from a direct free kick early in the first half to give his side a crucial advantage in front of their home fans. Even apart from that, he kept things ticking in the midfield and completed 96 per cent of his passes. He even won back possession on a few occasions in what was an all-action display from the Bulgarian.
Glen Kamara – 7
Was calm and composed in possession and achieved a pass accuracy of 93 per cent. While he did lose a few 50-50 battles, it wasn’t a performance that harmed his side’s chances of winning the game and he continued to impress alongside Gruev.
Wilfried Gnonto – 8
Played a sensational cross in for the second goal and Gunn was left in a territory of uncertainty. It found Piroe perfectly and the Italian started the game strongly. Had a chance to score himself at the stroke of half-time but it was well saved by Gunn.
Georginio Rutter – 7
After Piroe’s hard work, the ball fell to him inside the box with a few minutes to go to half-time. He showed his composure and slotted the ball home to triple his side’s advantage. He was a tad inaccurate with his passing in the final third, but that comes with the role and surely Farke will have been impressed by this display.
Crysencio Summerville – 9
Has set the bar exceedingly high with his performances this season, but this was another game where Elland Road could just sit back and take stock of the talent the Dutchman is. Apart from his goal, he offered so much to Leeds’ attack and his movement made it nigh on impossible for Norwich to deal with. He made six key passes and created two big chances and every time he had the ball, the opposition defenders seemed to retreat. If he plays like this in the final, Leeds are certainly going to be a force to be reckoned with.
Joel Piroe – 7
Was on the other side of a pin-point cross from Gnonto and he made no mistake in heading the ball home to double Leeds’ lead. He then worked wonderfully down the left flank to help set up the third goal of the game, scored by Rutter. He also made two key passes and found himself in the right position on numerous occasions. It’s a shame he could score just one goal.
Substitutes
Dan James – 6
Connor Roberts – 6
Jaidon Anthony – 5
Mateo Joseph – 5
Liam Cooper – 6
In other Leeds United news, a teenage sensation is now set to snub Manchester United in order to move to Elland Road.
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