BBC Sport pundit blown away by Rodrigo after what he did in Leeds United 2-1 loss v Manchester City
Michael Brown was full of praise for Rodrigo after the Leeds United striker scored a “brilliant” goal against Manchester City at the Etihad.
The Whites put in a spirited second-half performance against Pep Guardiola’s side but were left ruing a poor first which allowed İlkay Gündoğan to put City into a two-goal lead.
Gündoğan missed a late penalty before Rodrigo halved the deficit, however, it was a little too late for Leeds in Sam Allardyce’s first game in charge. Brown was particularly impressed with the Spaniard’s late finish to give the Whites a glimmer of hope.
“Leeds United can always score a goal, they switched off for a second. Rodrigo with a brilliant left-footed finish just inside the penalty area,” said Brown (BBC Radio 5 Live, 16:45, 6 May).
“Now it makes the end of the game exciting.”
Platform
There’s certainly a platform for Leeds to build off of. City were wasteful in front of goal, but, for the most part, Allardyce’s side looked far more defensively sound. There were fewer gaps and it was clear they were a far more cohesive unit.
Max Wober’s presence certainly helped. The Austrian provides Leeds with leadership and defensive quality which has been lacking in recent weeks. Nevertheless, we all thought the trip to the Etihad was going to be far more damaging.
That performance shows that they can get something against Newcastle United, West Ham and Tottenham. The last two fixtures in particular present the Whites with a brilliant opportunity to put two vital wins on the board. The Hammers have been in indifferent form and could well be safe. Tottenham may not have anything to play for.
There will be plenty of twists and turns between now and the end of the season, writing Leeds off may not be the smartest move.
In other Leeds news, Angus Kinnear has convinced another coach to join the club after a 9am phone call.