Leeds United captain Ethan Ampadu was named Player of the Match against his former club Chelsea as the Whites ran out 3-1 winners.
United’s chances of gaining points to kickstart the festive period weren’t high as they faced a triple-header against Manchester City, Chelsea and then Liverpool.
However, a valiant second half against the former teed up a mouthwatering clash against Chelsea on Wednesday night. And, Leeds delivered.
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Leeds United 3-1 Chelsea: Whites bully Enzo Maresca’s side from front to back
The 3-5-2 brought the same effect against the Blues as it did Man City, with Leeds getting two goals without reply in the first half. First a thumping Jaka Bijol header, then a screamer from Ao Tanaka.
Enzo Maresca’s half-time subs paid dividends with Pedro Neto halving the deficit through a scrambled back-post finish.
Leeds United celebrate beating Chelsea 3-1 at Elland Road. (REUTERS/Chris Radburn)
But, the Chelsea onslaught for a leveller was nipped in the bud by a sub of Leeds’ own as Noah Okafor forced a spillage from Robert Sanchez in the goalmouth, giving Dominic Calvert-Lewin the easiest goal of his career.
At 3-1, Leeds comfortably saw off the victory in front of Elland Road’s raucous atmosphere. In doing so, United climbed out of the bottom three into 17th with 14 points, three clear of West Ham who play tonight against Manchester United.
Leeds United’s Ethan Ampadu named Player of the Match as he gets last laugh over petulant Chelsea star Enzo Fernandez
At the heart of it all for Leeds was the skipper, Ethan Ampadu. He was back to his usually dominant self, mopping up danger with intelligent positioning and controlled aggression.
In truth, you could have named about seven or eight Leeds players as Player of the Match, but it was the Welsh international who scooped up the prize after full-time.
|Ethan Ampadu vs Chelsea|
|:---|---|
|Touches|54|
|Pass success|24/28 (86%)|
|Pass success in opposition half|14/16 (88%)|
|Tackles (won)|2 (2)|
|Clearances|6|
|Recoveries|6|
|Ground duels (won)|8 (4)|
|Aerial duels (won)|3 (2)|
In battling through the midfield, Ampadu thoroughly got the better of his opposite number, £107million Chelsea man Enzo Fernandez. The Argentine looked to dictate possession but ultimately offered very little other than being a thorn in referee Darren England’s side throughout the game.
As Fernandez skied a terrible effort late on and Leeds shifted upfield, he had some words for Ampadu. They were covered by his hand, but his body language suggested he wasn’t in a great mood. Unsurprising, to be fair.
Ampadu’s reaction said everything:
Daniel Farke simply has to retain 3-5-2 Leeds United setup against Liverpool
There can be no debate or apprehension from Farke any more. The 3-5-2 formation is simply the way to go without question from hereon.
It got the best out of every player in our setup last night, and Ampadu was one of them. He’s been off the boil of late, but he was imperious in the middle of midfield against Chelsea.
That sort of performance has come at the perfect time for Farke, who was well under pressure following our woeful dip in form.
What this has shown me is that this team can stay up with the right guidance.
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