Paul Merson Leeds United
Leeds United have had their best results this season at Elland Road, but on Tuesday night, they might have pulled off a really crucial one for their survival. Many thought the Whites would stand no chance against Chelsea, but they showed their quality.
Liam Rosenior had won seven of his first nine games in charge of the Blues, and had won all his league games at Stamford Bridge. Leeds on the other hand still have one of the worst away records in the Premier League. Their only win this season has come away to Wolves, who are bottom of the table.
Most Read on The Leeds Press
And things did not start off well as the Blues took the lead after just 24 minutes at Stamford Bridge. The home side took their lead into half time, and Cole Palmer added a second goal after 58 minutes. Many thought that was the end for the away side, but they got a huge chance from the penalty spot as Lukas Nmecha dispatched to start the comeback. Just six minutes after pulling on back, the Whites got their equalizer.
Paul Merson stunned by Leeds United comeback
After the game, Chelsea legend Joe Cole was shocked that his side could not kill off the game and allowed Leeds to get a result. The Blues completed their own comeback from 2-0 down to beat West Ham over the weekend, but Stamford Bridge was silenced by the performance from the away side tonight. Paul Merson was shocked at how Leeds United managed to get back into the game and get a draw, he also criticized the Chelsea backline.
“Bogle goes onto it full pelt and it’s accidental handball, it’s not handball for me. It hits his elbow and he will rightly give the goal.
“Chelsea make a mess of it, Acheampong should clear it, Sanchez the goalkeeper gets nowhere near it, it gets played back and to the side and then Okafor taps it in the empty net.
“It’s an absolute shocker of a goal, how Acheampong does not clear it? He has to clear it, then Sanchez comes out and pulls down his own player and then it is put in an empty net.
“It’s a shocker, the ref has given the goal and from 2-0 it is now 2-2 and I cannot believe what I am watching.”
Daniel Farke deserves huge credit
When the lineup came out, a lot of Leeds fans criticized the team. Playing six defenders away from home was a sign that the team were going to sit back and try to get a result. But to Farke’s credit, when his team went 2-0 down he made the necessary adjustments. Bringing on Noah Okafor for a defender completely changed the game, and gave the Whites an outlet in attack. He played well with Lukas Nmecha and they were both instrumental in the build up to the equalizer. For all the stick the Leeds boss has gotten this season, he pulled off a masterclass on Tuesday night.