Leeds United were unable to capitalise on Leicester City’s shock setback to Bristol City, drawing 2-2 with Watford at Vicarage Road on Friday (March 29).
Crysencio Summerville scored a Goal of the Season contender, but Vakoun Issouf Bayo and Emmanuel Dennis scored each side of his wonder strike, with Mateo Joseph hitting a late equaliser to save a point for Leeds.
The Whites will be frustrated with the draw and failure to reclaim top spot in the Championship, especially following Leicester City’s shock 1-0 loss to Bristol City on Friday.
MOT Leeds News rated each Leeds player out of ten.
Ethan Ampadu disappoints with a rare poor Leeds United performance.
Illan Meslier – 7.
Despite surrendering twice, he made some vital saves; his defense needed to react much quicker. The score may have been much worse without the Frenchman’s intervention.
Did well to assist Summerville down the left wing while also protecting his defense against Yaser Asprilla. Maintaining a consistent performance at full-back, with a 100% tackle success rate (5/5). [FotMob]
Liam Cooper (Off for Junior Firpo, 63′) – 4
Leeds clearly missed the powerful defensive duo of Ampadu and Rodon, as Daniel Farke gave the Scot his first league start since January 1st.
Joe Rodon – 6
Was as solid as ever in defence, making one crucial tackle to prevent the Whites from falling further down. A true leader in the back, doing all necessary to propel Leeds forward.
Archie Gray – 5
Gray’s requirements require a very quiet performance. Watford’s Bayo hampered their attacking effectiveness for the whole of the night.
Ethan Ampadu – 4
Not his best effort in Leeds colours. Lucky not to give up a penalty in the first half; nearly gave up a goal after losing possession in midfield. Significant improvement with the move into midfield.
Glen Kamara – 6
The Finland international tried his best to hold down the midfield, while Ampadu delivered an unusually bad showing. I barely missed a pass and stopped the opposing team’s flow in the middle of the park.
Crysencio Summerville scores award-winning contender versus Watford.
Crysencio Summerville – 8
Summerville’s magnificent moment from beyond the Watford box was a stroke of genius, bringing his team back into the game after losing the first.
Dan James – 4
Relatively inefficient on the wings. The majority of the forward action took place on Summerville’s side, leaving James with little to do during the game.
Georginio Rutter (off for Joel Piroe, 74′) – 5
Rutter had a quiet night. Maybe he has to catch up on match sharpness after recovering from hernia surgery during the international break. Tried some long-range shots but was not as involved as Leeds required.
Patrick Bamford – 2
Bamford was a fairly lonely figure during the bout, making no real connections with James, Rutter, or Summerville. He made many sprints in the back, but no one searched for him.
Substitutes
Junior Firpo (On for Liam Cooper 63′) – 5
Summerville’s dominance on the wing rendered Firpo ineffectual as a substitute. Brought on to provide fresh legs while also allowing the club to swap positions.
Joel Piroe (on for Georginio Rutter in the 74th minute) – N/A.
Jaidon Anthony (on for Sam Byram in the 84th minute) – 7
The Whites should have won, but Daniel Bachmann denied them from close range.
Mateo Joseph (on for Glen Kamara in the 84th minute) – 9.
Brought on as a replacement in an attempt to salvage Leeds’ blushes. Poked in the equaliser shortly after going on, accomplishing precisely what was required of him.
