Sam Stone

Tue 4 April 2023 21:38, UK

Leeds United got back to winning ways with a vital 2-1 win over Nottingham Forest at Elland Road on Tuesday evening.

Javi Gracia’s side fell behind to an Orel Mangala strike in the 12th minute but turned things around in the first half through Jack Harrison and Luis Sinisterra to secure a huge three points.

The victory moves the Whites up to 13th in the Premier League table and here MOT Leeds News rates the players out of ten for their performances at Elland Road.

Illan Meslier – 6

Could do nothing with Mangala’s opening goal for the away side. Distributed the ball well and didn’t make any significant errors of note. Looked comfortable.

Luke Ayling – 5

Workmanlike performance from Ayling but was responsible for giving the ball away in the lead-up to Forest’s opening goal. Furthermore, his delivery wasn’t particularly impressive. Linked up well with Harrison at times. With a number of Leeds’ players standing out, Ayling struggled to reach a similar level.

Robin Koch – 6

Competent performance from the German who was largely untroubled for large periods. Leeds tried to take the game to the away side and were vulnerable to the counterattack, but the central defender’s positioning was impeccable and prevented Forest from having too much joy.

Pascal Struijk – 6

Played some superb crossfield balls to Harrison in the first half in particular. Always looked to play forward and was solid defensively. Considering he’s been played in numerous positions this season, he looked at home alongside Koch.

Junior Firpo – 6

Defensively, Firpo was excellent. Produced a crucial tackle midway through the second half to deny the away side. Looked to get forward whenever he could but was let down by his delivery on a couple of occasions. Improvement from the Jesse Marsch era is noticeable.

Weston McKennie – 8

Easily McKennie’s best performance for Leeds. The American looked like the player we were all expecting and was excellent alongside Marc Roca in the centre of the park. Rarely lost the ball and looked to play forward whenever he could. Defensively resolute.

Marc Roca – 7

Dovetailed with McKennie really well and showed some excellent touches. Roca always looked to turn and play forward whenever he could which allowed Gracia’s men to start.

Brenden Aaronson – 6

A lively performance from Aaronson but failed to make a telling impact in front of goal. Works tirelessly but tends to run into trouble a little too often. His energy made life hard for Steve Cooper’s side.

Jack Harrison – 9

That was electric from Harrison. He looks reborn under Gracia and showcased all his talent on Tuesday evening. He looked to beat his man at every opportunity and rarely lost possession. Was the catalyst for all the good things Leeds did. Long may his fine form continue.

Luis Sinisterra – 8

A moment of quality gave Leeds United the lead in the first half. Knew exactly where he was going to place the ball and executed it to perfection. Looked to get to take his full-back on whenever he could, however, he faded slightly in the second period. Impressive from the Colombian.

Patrick Bamford – 4

Bamford huffed and puffed but saw his efforts go unrewarded. He does link up well with his teammates but didn’t influence the game enough. The 29-year-old needs to offer more for Gracia’s side.

Substitutes

Rodrigo (on for Aaronson 72′) – 5

Crysencio Summerville (on for Sinisterra, 72′) – 5

Rasmus Kristensen (on for Bamford, 90′) – 5

In other Leeds United news, Stan Collymore has backed an FA Cup winning boss to take over as manager in the summer.

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