David Seaman smiling as Leeds United win rescues him from Arsenal ‘nightmare’
The Leeds United win at Watford was just what David Seaman needed when he was suffering from the misery of Arsenal losing to Brighton.
The Whites came away from Vicarage Road as 3-0 winners despite a ragged game that could have gone either way for long periods, as goals from Rodrigo and Jack Harrison made the result safe after Raphinha’s first-half opener.
Three points were especially important in light of Everton’s win over Manchester United earlier in the day, and opens up a nine-point gap to Burnley in 18th before their games in hand are played.
Former United youth team player Seaman was smiling when he saw the score, after the Gunners where he spent most of his career ruined his day by being beaten 2-1 at home by the Seagulls.
Writing on his personal Twitter account after the final whistle, the ex-England goalkeeper said: “Leeds have put the smile back on my face after the nightmare Arsenal result!”
Nervy
If Seaman wasn’t watching the action then the result looks very good, and at this stage of the season it’s results that are most important.
But for long periods of the game there was a concerning level of last-ditch defending required as waves of home attacks came in.
The midfield was by-passed too easily, and there was space down the flanks on numerous occasions.
Playing against a better side than Roy Hodgson’s men it seems likely that the clean sheet would not have been preserved.
But Jesse Marsch’s team rode their luck, and eventually the quality on display from the attacking players made the difference.
Harrison’s late third was the pick of the bunch, but Raphinha’s opener was high quality, and Rodrigo showed great tenacity to read a mistake and steal in for the second.
In other Leeds United news, the player ratings from the game show the up and down nature of the team performance.