Leeds United should worry about big clubs stealing ‘unsung hero’ after Liverpool masterclass
Leeds United continued their terrific form in the Premier League with an impressive goalless draw against Liverpool on Thursday evening.
Daniel Farke’s men extended their unbeaten run to six league matches in the process after some resolute defending kept the hosts at bay.
Micah Richards was full of praise for James Justin against Liverpool after denying Florian Wirtz what looked like a certain goal with an exceptional block.
Captain Ethan Ampadu was also outstanding for Leeds on the night, as the Welshman showcased his ball-winning talents in central areas and set the standard with his passing range.
Unsurprisingly, Justin and Ampadu weren’t the only two players to emerge from the contest with credit, as Jaka Bijol was incredible.
Should Hugo Ekitike have gone to ground under the challenge from Jaka Bijol, rather than attempting to get a shot away? 🤔
— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) January 2, 2026
Arne Slot thinks the Liverpool forward was punished for staying on his feet, when it could have been a penalty. pic.twitter.com/Cvd2iWqyhX
Leeds should worry about big clubs showing interest in Jaka Bijol
Leeds can thank Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s scoring streak as a key reason for their rise, but Bijol has arguably been more important in defence.
Bijol was brought on at half-time when Farke changed to a three-man defence against Manchester City, and since then, the Slovenian has made himself undroppable.
Combining his exceptional aerial ability with aggressive tackling and an ability to read the game, Bijol has been a brick wall for Leeds, and the statistics against Liverpool reinforce that point.
| Jaka Bijol’s stats vs Liverpool |
| 90 mins played |
| 12 defensive contributions |
| 2/2 ground duels won |
| 8 clearances |
| 2 recoveries |
| 2 interceptions |
Leeds only signed Bijol for around £15million from Udinese in the summer, but if he continues his current level of form, it feels only a matter of time before some big club’s show an interest.
After all, the Peacocks have gone unbeaten in seven of the 10 league matches the 26-year-old has featured in, and that highlights how essential he is to Farke’s system.
Troy Deeney hails ‘unsung hero’ Bijol
Bijol is starting to get recognised by the wider footballing community for his near-faultless performances, and Troy Deeney is the latest to pay him a compliment.
In his BBC Sport column, the former Watford striker named Bijol in his Premier League Team of the Week, and wrote: “At Anfield, everyone would have expected Liverpool to really, really do a job on this team here and make sure that they were ready to go.
“Unfortunately, Leeds are flying high. They defended resolutely and rode their luck, there was a massive chance for Hugo Ekitike to score and he probably should have but Leeds are in a good vein of form and Bijol has been an unsung hero.”
Leeds have now conceded just three goals in their last four matches, and with a showdown against Manchester United to come on Sunday, supporters are dreaming of even more success.
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