Leeds United made a long trip to London to take on Fulham at Craven Cottage on Tuesday night. The Peacocks opted for a 4-2-3-1 formation and began the match on the front foot. However, the visitors were pegged back soon and had to defend valiantly with the Cottagers coming close to scoring a goal in the 10th minute. The home side kept on the pressure and got a lucky break in the 33rd minute when Kevin McDonald scored the opener inadvertently. Slaviša Jokanović’s side managed to control the game well and went into half-time with a 1-0 advantage.
The Cottagers took the initiative from the get-go in the second half and got the decisive second goal in the 63rd minute when Aleksandar Mitrovic slotted the ball home from close range. The London outfit managed the game well and won the game with a convincing 2-0 scoreline.
Let’s take a look at how each Leeds United player fared on the night.
GK: Bailey Peacock-Farrell – 7/10
He made two brilliant saves to keep his team in the contest. The Cottagers scored two and could have scored a lot more if it wasn’t for the Leeds keeper.
RB: Stuart Dallas – 6/10
He got a wonderful chance to score in the 1st minute. The Leeds right-back provided a great outlet down the right flank for his teammates but was not able to conjure up a goal.
CB: Pontus Jansson – 6.5/10
He made a few good clearances but overall, had a tough night dealing with the Cottagers attack. However, he was able to keep Aleksandar Mitrovic quiet for most of the game which is no easy feat.
CB: Matthew Pennington – 5/10
He struggled to cope with the Fulham attackers and went down with an injury in the 82nd minute. The Leeds supporters will be hoping that it’s not too serious.
LB: Gaetano Berardi – 6/10
He made a few good blocks and played a great pass to open up a golden chance for Caleb Ekuban. However, he had a much difficult time while facing his own goal.
CM: Eunan O’Kane – 5/10
He had to be subbed off due to an injury midway into the first-half.
CM: Ronaldo Vieira – 5/10
He attempted a few shots but none of them posed a threat to the Fulham goalkeeper. He also made some tackles in midfield but gave away some cheap fouls in the process.
RM: Ergjan Alioski – 5/10
Not the best of days for the Leeds’ winger, he was caught in possession on quite a few occasions during the contest.
CAM: Samuel Saiz Alonso – 7/10
He made some great runs from midfield but struggled to find the ideal pass in the final third. However, he tried his best to provide an outlet for his team and earn his teammates a breather from time to time.
LM: Pablo Hernández – 6/10
He put in a great shift and tried his best to open up the Fulham defence. However, his impact was neutralised by some terrific defending from the home team.
ST: Caleb Ekuban – 5/10
He squandered a wonderful opportunity for the Peacocks which ultimately led to Leeds’ downfall.
Substitutes:
CM: Kalvin Phillips – 6/10
He worked hard for his side but found it tough opening up the Fulham defence.
RM: Jay-Roy Grot – 5/10
He wasted a great chance when he managed to miss the target with his header from close range.
ST: Pierre-Michel Lasogga – 6/10
He put in a hard-working shift in the final quarter of the game and made some great runs in the opposition half.
