Leeds United had yet another tricky test this evening as they hosted Arsenal at Elland Road. Marcelo Bielsa lined his men up for the challenge after two successive defeats, whereas the Gunners underwent a 3-0 humiliation at the Emirates against Aston Villa prior to the international break.
The contest proved to be an enticing one, however, the Whites failed to break the deadlock despite finding the Gunners down to ten-man for the majority of the second half. It ended in a stalemate after 90 minutes.
Below are the Leeds United players rated in their scoreless draw against Arsenal.
Illan Meslier: 7.5
Was rarely tested in the first-half but found himself fortunate when Nicolas Pepe’s effort clipped the bar. Made a brilliant stop late in the game to deny Bukayo Saka one-on-one.
Luke Ayling: 6
Had a nervy outing defensively as he struggled against Pepe and Saka later on down the right-hand side. Wasted a scoring opportunity too before being taken off to make way for Rodrigo midway through the second half.
Robin Koch: 6.5
Settling in gradually in the heart of the backline and did well against Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Was out of position on a couple of occasions in the closing minutes when Leeds went all out for the winner.
Liam Cooper: 7
Made a crucial block towards the end when Saka crossed in for Aubameyang following an exquisite counter-attack. Was clumsy at times with his tackles but did his job in deep defence with calmness and composure.
Ezgjan Alioski: 7.5
Made relentless runs from the left and combined upfront with the likes of Jack Harrison and Patrick Bamford. Kept on whipping in crosses using the width of the pitch.
Kalvin Phillips: 8
His return has most certainly strengthened the Whites in the middle of the park. His work rate, tactical fouls and destructive nature never allowed the visitors to take control of the midfield game. His vision and range of passing often created acres of space for his teammates to utilize.
Raphinha: 7.5
Earned a well-deserved start following a few cameo appearances before the break. Came close on a few occasions and even hit the woodwork in the closing seconds of the match.
Mateusz Klich: 7
Dominated the game centrally, made a number of key passes but was wasteful with his efforts from distance. Skied his strike from inside the box late in the match.
Stuart Dallas: 7
Got dispossessed dangerously in the early minutes but did his job well otherwise in terms of winning duels and making recoveries. Was denied by Leno despite striking it hard from 20 yards out.
Jack Harrison: 6.5
Started brightly but looked out of ideas while chasing for the winner. Made way for Poveda around the 80th-minute mark.
Patrick Bamford: 7.5
Got denied by Leno, hit the side net and even struck the woodwork. Came close time and again but failed eventually in finding the target.
Substitutes
Rodrigo: 7
Had an immediate impact as he almost broke the deadlock with an exquisite effort from the distance. But the Spaniard, too, got denied by the woodwork.
Ian Poveda: 6
Came close to score but could not be much of a difference either.
