26th October 2024. EFL Championship.
A point away from home is always a decent return, let’s not forget that, especially at a place like Ashton Gate where they have a terrific unbeaten run now stretching to 11 league games. Their league position also suggests they are amongst the better sides in what I think is generally a mediocre Championship this year. After 12 games, I am yet to see a side better than us and that includes those lucky Black Cats who everyone is suddenly raving about! Having said all that, I’m sure the main feeling Daniel Farke will have after this game is disappointment and maybe annoyance.
Yet again, Leeds were the dominant force for the majority of the game, something we can really say about every Leeds league game this season!. Leeds amassed almost 70 per cent possession, 17 shots to four for the home side and there were four decent saves made by their keeper O’Leary with Meslier untroubled. The Achilles heel yet again was the lack of a clinical final pass or finish when close to goal. After the game Daniel Farke commented that it is an “ongoing problem”. It certainly is, it’s been going on with us for years!
Leeds did take twenty minutes to settle today, Bristol started well and there was nothing to chose between the sides for that early period with neither side getting a clear look at goal. But then the pattern of the game started to look very familiar – lots of Leeds possession, a few decent openings, but no finish worth the name. Before the break we watched under hands shading our eyes from the sun as the chances began to come at the far end of the ground while defensively we were largely untroubled. The first chance was a header for Jayden Bogle that he rammed into the side netting from a Sam Byram cross, that was really only half a chance. Then Willy Gnonto tried to reprise Largie’s goal the other day, hitting a speculative shot from the left corner of the box. This time O’Leary dived full length to save. Willy Gnonto then played in Dan James, one-on-one with O’Leary, a position we’ve already seen Dan score from this season. No so today, the finish wasn’t good enough and the keeper got enough on it to scramble it away.
The second half was largely one way traffic, all coming towards us in the Leeds end and still with that damned sun burning our eyes. Once again it was Dan and Willy combining, this time Dan crossing low across the face of goal. You’d like to think that had it been Joel Piroe it was a certain goal but Willy tried to knock the ball to where the keeper was coming from only to see a defender filling the gap. Another golden chance gone begging. Brenden Aaronson then pulled a shot wide – he’s one who really needs to sharpen his sights in front of goal – had it been on target it may well have beaten O’Leary. Then Mateo Joseph, getting his now regular subs appearance, put a close range header wide that he may or may not perhaps should have at least got on target. Joseph also needs to be sharper in front of goal.
Other than the failure to press home our advantage in goals, it was another strong performance from Leeds, maybe we suffered the loss of Junior Firpo, Sam did well enough but Junior has been a revelation this season. He’ll be back next week but now we lose Jayden Bogle as he collected his 5th yellow today. Manor Solomon still looks to be far away from the player we had before his injury and Dan James looks like he needs a few more games before he’s cooking again. For the rest, nothing really to criticise and defensively we were pretty much rock solid again.
So, it is another point earned away from home, we are still unbeaten on the road and we’re well in touch at the top. Once again today several of the so-called fancied teams failed to win – Burnley, West Brom and Blackburn would all have fancied their chances today but Rovers lost and the other two played out goalless home draws against sides at the wrong end of the table. Yes, Sunderland are, for the time being at least, pulling away, but we all know that but for the Stadium of Light calamity we’d be right there behind them. We can but hope that we will continue to dominate games and that the positive results will come regularly. First off, let’s put Mt Rooney’s lot to the sword next Saturday! Win at home and draw away is the well-balanced way!
Sky Bet Championship
Bristol City 0
Leeds United 0
City: O’Leary (GK), McCrorie (Naismith 35’), Bird, Hirakawa (Mayulu 78’), Knight (C), Vyner, McNally, Sykes (Morrison 78’), Tanner, Wells (Armstrong 59’), McGuane (Earthy 59’).
Subs not used: Bajic (GK), Mehmeti, Cornick, Campbell-Slowey.
Leeds: Meslier (GK), Bogle, Struijk (C), Rodon, James (Solomon 70’), Rothwell, Piroe (Joseph 70’), Aaronson, Tanaka, Byram, Gnonto (Bamford 87’). Subs not used: Darlow (GK), Guilavogui, Gelhardt, Schmidt, Debayo, Crew.
Referee: James Linington
Booked: Gnonto, Tanaka, Bogle (Leeds)
Venue: Ashton Gate
Attendance: 25,283