Leeds United: BT Sport pundit staggered by scale of Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace task, Arsenal loss not important
The Leeds United performance against Arsenal is what matters rather than the result because what comes after is “absolutely enormous” says Tony Dorigo.
The Whites return to action after the international break on 1 April away to the league-leaders in what represents possibly the toughest assignment in the Premier League this season, before back-to-back clashes with relegation rivals Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace.
BT pundit Dorigo can therefore accept any result at the Emirates as long as the team generate some momentum for the huge pair of six-pointers within as many days as Forest and Palace visit Elland Road on 4 and 9 April respectively.
The Whites title-winner said in his Yorkshire Evening Post column of the Arsenal trip: “Any kind of positive result will be massive given what comes after. I don’t like looking ahead to games further down the weeks but you can’t help it because Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest at home are enormous, absolutely enormous.
“That’s why at Arsenal this weekend we have to put in a performance. What that means in terms of points, it just is what it is.
“Whether it’s none, one or three, we still need some sort of performance to take momentum into games against teams in and around us down there in the bottom half of the Premier League table.”
Priorities
Not many sides expect to go to the Emirates and win this year and with Leeds United coming back from the international break with plenty of injury concerns it would be a surprise to get anything there.
Points at any opportunity are obviously the priority but giving everything to pick up a result in North London would mean nothing if it was followed by losses to fellow strugglers.
The relegation battle is so tight that one win can make a huge difference at the moment, and having climbed to 14th under Javi Gracia it would be damaging to boost either Forest or Palace.
The former haven’t won since the 1-0 victory over the Whites on 5 February that got Jesse Marsch sacked, and while they face Wolves before they come to Elland Road the last thing Leeds need is a resurgence from Steve Cooper’s men.
Palace just sacked Patrick Vieira after going without a win since New Year’s Eve and they too face another relegation rival in Leicester before they head to West Yorkshire.
Roy Hodgson couldn’t rescue Watford last season but Gracia will want to avoid any form of new manager bounce from the former England boss, so the second and third of the upcoming games are indeed the most crucial.
In other Leeds United news, an injury expert has provided a worrying 10 week minimum expectation on the latest blow to the Whites squad.
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