Despite losing 3-2 to Chelsea, Leeds United’s youthful players performed admirably on the night.
A lot has changed Leeds United traveled to Stamford Bridge looking to pull off an unlikely cup upset, and they pushed their Premier League opponents all the way, with Conor Gallagher’s 90th-minute goal the only thing that separated the two teams.
Archie Gray was the bright spot among both sets of players, earning the Man of the Match award from ITV, though his performance would come as no surprise to Leeds fans considering his season.
Mateo Joseph, on the other hand, stood up for the Whites, scoring his first goals for the club in an impressive coming-of-age performance.
Speaking on BBC Radio Leeds after the game, pundit Jon Newsome praised Joseph’s performance and feels he, like Gray, has the potential to have a long-term impact at Elland Road.
Newsome says Joseph has full of potential.
He said, “I think he did a fantastic job; that is his role, right? His physique, game, and playing style all indicate that he is not a 10. He likes to go up against the centre-backs and run through the channels, and I believe he has a lot of potential but a lot to learn about the game.
“He will improve, and the more games he can play, like tonight, he must be thinking in the locker room that he is good enough and belongs at this level.
“That would have been a nagging question in his mind, but he comes here and scores two fantastic goals against a great Premier League and European side. All of a sudden, you’ve got that self-confidence; he’ll be thrusting his chest out more and has a spring in his stride.
Though league minutes have been difficult to come by this season, there is a reason Leeds gave Joseph a new long-term contract shortly after Gray, and he demonstrated that last night.
Joseph remarked after the game last night about how far he and Gray had gone in just a few years, and hopes this is the beginning of a long career at Leeds.
The next stage for him is to try to break into the Championship starting XI, and based on last night’s performance, he may have just gotten ahead of Joel Piroe.
