Leeds United vs Liverpool
16:30, Sunday 12th September 2021
Elland Road, Leeds
Referee: Craig Pawson
As Liverpool prepare to visit Elland Road this weekend for just the fifth (league) match in twenty years, I’m reminded of last year’s late Diego Llorente goal for hosts Leeds United – a goal that cancelled out Sadio Mane’s half-hour opener, as well as pouring cold water on any slim optimism that supporters of the visitors had allowed to creep in following three consecutive league wins during the preceding weeks. That trio of wins were the first consecutive trio since The Reds’ opening matches of the season, and few will need reminding of the dismal run of winter form that preceded them – after asserting their claim to top-spot with a 7-0 victory away to Crystal Place, Liverpool took just 12 points from the next fourteen league matches (three wins & three draws) and came just 6 days short of going four months without a league win at Anfield (with Burnley having ended Liverpool’s run of home league victories at 68).
Things got worse before they improved – despite the points-deficit to the top four not appearing, without context, to be insurmountable, the manner in which 2 points were dropped to Newcastle United the following weekend was, without context, unforgivable and all hope seemed abandoned. Despite grumbles about the lack of incoming transfers during the summer of 2021, how good does it feel to be preparing to face – and as favourites – three historic European clubs in the coming months?! Our depleted, weary, but determined team deserve great credit for the manner in which they closed out the season – claiming five consecutive wins, featuring at least one iconic moment, that helped re-cast the preceding five matches as part of a 26 points run that helped the Reds secure Champions League qualification on the final day of the campaign.
Leeds United, meanwhile, had enjoyed an excellent return to the Premier League – sat comfortably in mid-table, it had been clear for some time that relegation was of no concern whatsoever and it took until April for outside chances of European qualification to begin to dim. Identified early on as one of the league’s most entertaining sides, the West Yorkshire side sat on a 0 goal-difference despite having only drawn three of the preceding 31 matches – all or nothing seemed to be the trend under Marco Bielsa and, despite the club’s historic ‘dirty Leeds’ reputation, the 2020-21 team seemed to enjoy a degree of popularity & admiration amongst neutrals & pundits alike.
I must admit, my memories of league matches at Elland Road are somewhat limited. I remember the 4-3 defeat, in which Mark Viduka scored all of the hosts’ goals – this coming just months after they’d beaten us to Champions League qualification, but in a season that turned out to be highly memorable for both clubs (with Leeds reaching the Champions League semi-finals, and the Reds embarking on a five-trophy spring & summer trophy haul). A glance at the match history reminds me of a Salif Diao 1-0 winner two years later – had we signed a young goalscoring box-to-box midfielder to partner Steven Gerrard for years to come?! If the Viduka game had seen both clubs on the rise, with a sense of optimism about a return to glory days, the February 2003-04 meeting found them both on the opposite side of that optimism – Liverpool limping through the latter days of the late Gerard Houllier’s reign, and a pre-firesale Leeds just months away from relegation and potential oblivion. That game stick in my mind in particular – I’d netted a rare brace in a youth match, and my teammates & I watched Harry Kewell open the scoring (in a 2-2) draw in a country pub in mid Wales.
Whilst it’s fair to say we’ve been through it all ourselves during the years since Leeds United’s relegation, they’ve had quite the time of it themselves. The proud Yorkshire club spent sixteen years out of the top flight (including three seasons in the third tier), and never really challenged for a return until the last two seasons – they’ve seen their own ownership changes during this period, and it’s taken fifteen permanent managerial appointments to reach Marco Bielsa, and what final appears a steady footing. Global pandemic meant that Leeds supporters were unable to create & enjoy a celebratory Elland Road atmosphere until the final day of the 2020-21 campaign (a 3-1 victory against already-relegated West Brom, in front of 8,000 supporters), but will hope that their ferocious home-support adds an extra dimension to the distinctive experience of facing their team during the season ahead.
After a successful return season that seemed at once entirely expected and yet also the absolute best that Leeds supporters could have hoped for, the early weeks of their second campaign suggest that they might be in for a slightly tougher time of it this time round – they were competing with Man United on the opening day, until their hosts put in something of a determined statement-performance in the second half, and will likely have mixed feelings about draws with Everton and Burnley (two clubs with reputations – regardless of our own feelings – of being difficult to beat). A glance at the fixture list suggests October could be the month in which Leeds kick-start their campaign, with games against Watford, Southampton, Wolves, and Norwich – they’ll be keen to maintain some confidence and come out of the preceding trio (against Liverpool, Newcastle, and West Ham) relatively unscathed.
As for ourselves, we got pretty-much what we wanted out of the opening pair against Norwich and Burnley, and – in my opinion – should feel at-worst frustrated by the draw against Chelsea last time out. I’d said beforehand that I’d be disappointed with a point on the day but happy with it by Monday, particularly if we went on and did the business in the three matches before the Man City game at the beginning of October; I pretty much adhered to that, despite the red-card at the halfway point perhaps enhancing our opportunity for an early statement-victory. Liverpool aren’t exactly being written out of the 2021-22 title race by the mainstream pundits – more so not being written in – but continuing to put points on the board before hosting City will be both key to supporters’ confidence off the back of a quiet transfer window, as well as to the approach of our opponents throughout the season after our infallibility slipped away last season.
At the time of writing, and following the protestations of the CBA and FIFA, it remains to be seen as to whether Rafinha, Alisson, Fabinho, and Roberto Firmino will be available for their sides – key players, all. Naby, meanwhile…well. I’ll leave the team-selection chat and the potential ramifications of those factors in the capable/culpable hands of you RAWKites...
Cheers also for the patience - was waiting for all this round of internationals to come to a close.
