Leeds United bow out of the FA Cup in the third round following a shock 3-0 defeat to Crawley Town. The Whites, who rested a host of their star players, never really managed to breach the opposing defence as second-half goals from Nick Tsaroulla, Ashley Nadesan and Jordan Tunnicliffe secured a famous victory for the home side.
Leeds United Player Ratings Vs Crawley Town
Kiko Casilla 3/10
Kiko Casilla enjoyed a great first-half, notably denying Nichols a late opportunity to score. However, he should have done a lot better in saving Crawley’s first two goals, even though he was rather unfortunate to concede the third.
Kalvin Phillips 5/10
Kalvin Phillips starting in central defence but despite being one of the most senior players out there, the Leeds United star struggled to impose his presence and may have been better suited to a midfield role.
Liam Cooper 6/10
Liam Cooper had a decent return to the pitch despite conceding three goals. The Englishman’s no-nonsense defensive attitude worked well for Leeds, at times, but wasn’t enough to keep Crawley at bay.
Leif Davis 5/10
A poor display from the young defender, who once again fails to make full use of his opportunity in the senior side, notably making an error that led to the second goal.
Jamie Shackleton 5/10
Jamie Shackleton operated on the right-hand side, where he showed impressive work-rate. However, the penetration was lacking, and the youngster should be deployed in a more central role.
Pascal Struijk 5.5/10
Pascal Struijk didn’t exactly manage to dominate the proceedings in that holding midfield role. He got dispossessed once or twice, though his overall passing game was more than decent.
Ezgjan Alioski 6/10
Ezgjan Alioski’s presence in the middle helped Marcelo Bielsa rest key player Stuart Dallas. Unfortunately, the Macedonian failed to provide the quality necessary to get the better of the Crawley defence. His final balls, in particular, were disappointing.
Pablo Hernandez 6/10
Pablo Hernandez was the creator-in-chief for Leeds United in this game. He tried to probe the opposition defence but struggled a bit with his execution, which is rather strange for a player of his calibre.
Ian Poveda 6/10
Ian Poveda failed to make the most of his rare starting opportunity this afternoon. He was the most lively Leeds attacker, but that penetration was lacking, with the Argentine eventually making way for Raphina around the hour mark.
Rodrigo 4/10
Rodrigo was poor in that lone number nine role for Leeds United, offering very little productivity. He was hauled off at half-time and rightly so.
Helder Costa 4/10
Helder Costa wallowed around the flanks without providing a cutting edge to Leeds United’s offensive game. The Portuguese attacker was, in fact, quite ineffective going forward.
SUBSTITUTES
Jack Harrison 5/10
Jack Harrison came on at the start of the second half to change the game. He didn’t exactly succeed, much to the credit of the Crawley backline that remained strong.
Jack Jenkins 5/10
The youngster made his debut by appearing as a substitute at half-time. Didn’t do much to change the complexion of the game though.
Oliver Casey 5/10
Another Leeds United youngster who failed to take full advantage of a rare starting opportunity. Oliver Casey’s introduction somehow made the Whites more vulnerable as they eventually conceded three second-half goals.
Raphinha 5/10
Struggled to influence the game after coming on around the hour mark.
Sam Greenwood 5/10
The Leeds United wunderkind made his debut by coming on for Davis. Did not do much to make a good first impression, however.
