Read James Riach’s match report from Elland Road here:
And that’ll be your lot for this one. May I recommend Alan Smith’s minute-by-minute of Middlesbrough v Chelsea in the shiny division, just started a few minutes ago.
Well, Leeds didn’t play very well but they shouldn’t beat themselves up too much about losing to this Newcastle side. That’s eight wins on the spin for Rafa Benitez’s men, and they go five points clear at the top of the table. It’d be a fair old surprise if they dropped from that position, and you wouldn’t bet against them maintaining at least that gap from the rest until May.
Full-time: Leeds United 0-2 Newcastle United
Peeeeeeep peeeeeep peeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep.
90 mins + 3: Mitrovic is down, looks like he’s complaining about some sort of abdominal problem. Not sure how that came about, but he doesn’t look overly perturbed.
90 mins + 2: Diame lopes forwards and shoots from range, but there’s not much oomph behind the shot and Green gathers without much bother.
90 mins: Three minutes of added time. Darlow comes out to punch a cross and nearly gets himself into an unpleasant difficulty, but just about gets away with it.
88 mins: The game is petering out now, which is a bit of a shame, but an indication of what a thorough - if not spectacular - performance this has been from Newcastle.
85 mins: Close to a slight moment of slapstick for Newcastle. A group of defenders leave a long ball for each other, forcing Darlow to come out and deal with matters, his clearance is charged down by Antonsson but goes wide. At least that will give something for notorious perfectionist Benitez to get his teeth into after the game.
83 mins: Diame dispossesses Phillips, Newcastle advance down the right flank at the sort of leisurely pace you’d expect from a team 2-0 up and cruising, and win a corner. Then, Isaac Hayden comes on for Colback.
81 mins: Ach, it’s not breaking for Leeds: Ayling chips a cross into the box, it’s slightly too high for Antonsson but then falls to Wood...nearly, just going too far away from his outstretched right foot, and it’s eventually cleared.
79 mins: And for Newcastle, big Aleksandar Mitrovic comes on in place of Gayle.
78 mins: Sub for Leeds - Doukara is done, and Marcus Antonsson replaces him.
76 mins: Ayling hoiks a big cross into the middle from way out on the right, but Darlow comes out confidently and claims, with Wood advancing on him. Good keeping from a man who hasn’t been overly-employed thus far today.
75 mins: Quieter few minutes. Now a change for Newcastle, as Gouffran departs and Mo Diame enters.
73 mins: Some slow and steady build-up down the left for Leeds, eventually a cross is delivered to the back stick where Doukara heads towards goal, but it’s easily saved.
70 mins: Iffy corner delivery has been an issue this half for Leeds: a few minutes ago Roofe plunked a corner far too long and it sailed over everyone, and this time he grubbed it to the near-post and a chance is wasted.
68 mins: Ayline booms in a big cross from deep on the right, which Anita in the end deals with fairly well by turning it behind for a corner, but it was one of those with potential slapstick calamity written all over it.
65 mins: Perez produces a delicious turn in the box to set up a crossing chance, but it’s cleared at the near-post by Jansson. The corner is skimmed out to Ritchie on the edge of the box, but that effort is blocked before it can really penetrate the penalty area.
64 mins: Yeesh, so close for Leeds. Sacko immediately gets involved by dispossessing Dummett, then feeds Doukara who waits, waits, waits and eventually slides a ball through the Newcastle defence, but it was just too heavy for the run of Roofe.
62 mins: Sub for Leeds: Vieira off, and Hadi Sacko comes on. Looks like a change of formation too, perhaps something closer to a 4-4-2 with Doukara pushed further forwards.
61 mins: Leeds try to exert some pressure, and Ayling trundles in from the right, takes a shot but it’s deflected and loops over the bar.
59 mins: Colback gets a booking, and quite rightly so, after scooping the ball back with his hands just as O’Kane looked to have the better of him, breaking towards the Newcastle goal.
56 mins: Quite possibly.
Genuinely think this Newcastle side, with this manager, would finish in the top 10-12 in the Premier League this season.
— Daniel Storey (@danielstorey85) November 20, 2016
Shelvey lines up a shot, slips and it nearly turns into a decent pass to Ritchie.
54 mins: Despite Leeds playing well, Newcastle are two up and with a lovely goal. Some terrific intricate passing between Shelvey, Anita and Perez presents a crossing chance, and Gayle is there - in far too much space - on the edge of the six yard box to turn the ball home. Lovely stuff.
GOAL! Leeds United 0-2 Newcastle United (Gayle 54)
What a delightful goal.
Updated
52 mins: Bit of a coming together between Shelvey and Ayling: the latter went in moderately hard on the former, and Shelvey thought about sticking one on his opponent, but appeared to change his mind at the very last minute. Wisely, too.
51 mins: Leeds have certainly started the second half in better style. They’re pinning Newcastle back more effectively.
49 mins: Roofe does well to skip around Clark, his first cross is cleared but his second drops to O’Kane, who turns beautifully, shoots across goal and Darlow has to make a fine save. That was a little like the goal Harry Kane scored for England v Germany at the start of the year. Only, well, it didn’t go in.
46 mins: We’re away.
We’re out for the second half. Football!
This one’s on simmer rather than full-on boil so far, but it’s been most enjoyable nonetheless. Newcastle just about ahead, but Leeds got back into it in the closing stages of the half, and could quite easily have a penalty for their troubles.
Half-time: Leeds United 0-1 Newcastle United
Peeeeeeeep-peeeeeeeep-peeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep.
45 mins: Pontus Jansson - who looks like he should be playing drums for Rancid - got booked for protesting against that non-handball, by the way. One minute of added time.
43 mins: The corner results in an enormous bundle of players falling over in the six yard box - at least six - and eventually another corner. From that, Colback stops a cross into the box with his arm, but the ref gives nothing - it was hit at him from close range, but he did have his arm up at a weird angle. Lucky to get away with that one. Very lucky, in fact.
42 mins: Leeds’s full-backs look like their most dangerous attackers at the moment, which might be a little troubling for Monk. Ayling bustles in from the right, the ball eventually makes its way over to Taylor on the left, and he fizzes in a low cross that’s put behind for a corner.
40 mins: Roofe shoots from the edge of the box but it’s deflected wide. The subsequent corner is headed clear, and Leeds continue to be kept very much at arms length.
38 mins: Taylor bundles his way into the box from the left, trying to force something - anything - for Leeds here. He tumbles with Colback, Anita and Ritchie nearby, but despite some rather desperate please from the stands, nothing is given.
37 mins: Shelvey gets a talking to by the referee after going through the back of Vieira. Lucky not to get a yellow there.
Meanwhile, today isn’t Rob Green’s worst...
Never been quite sure how to feel about Vitali Kutuzov actually carrying on and scoring herehttps://t.co/FSwpU9ZNAo
— Adam Hurrey (@FootballCliches) November 20, 2016
35 mins: Wood muscles away a defender or two and lays the ball off to Vieira, but the shot is flayed high and wide. Frustration emerging in the stands now.
33 mins: Roofe gets down the right and swings a cross over, but he didn’t allow enough time for any of his teammates to get into the box, and Darlow plucks the cross from the air.
Still, when he does come good...
31 mins: Phillips whips the corner in from the left and a man at the near post - could be Jansson, could be Wood - gets a head to it, but Darlow gets down well to save.
30 mins: The free kick comes into the box and eventually finds Ayling, who loops a header towards goal and Darlow has to scramble back and tip it over the bar for a corner.
29 mins: Gayle is penalised for a foul on Doukara and Leeds have a free-kick out on the left.
Here’s the goal and, well...judge for yourself.
WATCH: Dwight Gayle fires it in but should Rob Green have done better? Live on SS1 now. Brought to you by @screwfix. https://t.co/FGuLhL5ks9
— Sky Sports EFL ⚽️ (@SkySportsEFL) November 20, 2016
27 mins: Gouffran cuts in from the left and inches across the box, but his shot just skims wide of the goal. Looking at the replay of the goal again, and Green actually probably wouldn’t have fallen into the net if he’d just caught that. Curiouser and curiouser.
25 mins: Leeds attempt to get themselves back into the game straight away. Doukara loops a cross into the box and Wood tries to get some pace onto the header, but it floats wide.
22 mins: What a weird goal. Colback launches a cross from deep in the Leeds half, Green misjudges it and finds himself having to claw it away rather than catching it and falling behind the line, but he only manages to push it to a lurking Gayle, who stabs it home, quick as a flash. Green puts his hand up as if to say ‘Yeah, my fault that, lads’. No sh...
GOAL! Leeds United 0-1 Newcastle United (Gayle 22)
Calamity for Rob Green!
Updated
21 mins: Leeds again try to launch an attack down the left, but Taylor’s cross from the corner, on the run, drifts over the bar like a child’s lost balloon.
20 mins: When Ritchie lines up a shot it looks like he’s going to belt the air out of the ball every time, but on this occasion he scuffs an effort from the edge of the box.
19 mins: For a moment Darlow looks under extreme pressure with the ball at his feet, but he very calmly plays the thing out of defence and another Newcastle attack is launched. Very close to being some fine slapstick there, though.
18 mins: As you’d imagine with a full house and two sets of traditionally pretty salty fans, this game is a fine entry in the ‘effects mics picking up swearing from the stands’ file.
16 mins: Newcastle back on the attack now, and a Dummett cross drops for Ritchie who launches a shot towards goal, but Taylor throws himself in front of it like a soldier jumping on a grenade. If the grenade was a football.
14 mins: Leeds inching their way back into the game. Doukara tries to get down the left, is muscled out, but they’re at least doing something other than defend.
12 mins: Everyone present joins in a round of applause for Gary Speed. The camera cuts to Speed’s parents in the stand, and I have gone.
11 mins: Taylor plays a fizzing, unwanted backpass to Green, who controls it rather well.
10 mins: More pressure from Newcastle, as Gouffran takes a ball down to the byline and clips a cross over, but the advancing Ritchie can’t get the shot on goal. Leeds sitting worryingly deep here.
9 mins: Another corner for Newcastle who, as the shrewd of you have spotted, have been on top so far. Shelvey whips it into the near post, but Wood is there to head meatily away.
7 mins: First half/three-quarter chance. Shelvey scoops one into the path of Gayle, who advances on goal but Green is sharply off his line to smother the attempted shot.
5 mins: Lascelles goes up for the header, and seems to be nudged out of it by Bartley, but nobody much claims a penalty and the referee certainly says nothing doing.
4 mins: A training ground effort, as Shelvey skims it along the floor to the edge of the box, Anita lines up a shot but it’s deflected wide for a reprise.
3 mins: Plenty of scrapping but not much quality so far. Although, corner to Newcastle here...
1 mins: We’re away. Leeds in all white, kicking towards the Kop in the first half. Newcastle sporting black with an orange trim. Karl Darlow has to scamper out of his goal to boot one clear. Frantic already in the first minute.
Marching On Together rings out. Say what you like, it’s a bonny little ditty.
Just time to read about a couple of players involved in this game that featured in our recent ‘Championship players to catch the eye this season’ feature.
Pontus Jansson, Leeds United
Describing a player as a cult hero can often be pejorative, because generally that tends to mean “popular for some reason but not that good”. Pontus Jansson, the Swedish centre-back on loan at Leeds from Torino, has been called exactly that but he is a big reason why Garry Monk is bucking the trend of managers under Massimo Cellino. Not only has Monk managed to keep his job but he has guided Leeds into the play-off places – the first time they have occupied such a lofty spot since December 2013 – and Jansson has played a big role in that. Already hugely popular with the fans (taking a yellow card after jumping into the crowd to celebrate his recent equaliser against Norwich would not have hurt), he will presumably be even more so after declaring he wants to stay at Elland Road. “Seriously, that’s the only thing that I want now,” he told the Yorkshire Evening Post after the Norwich game. “I want to be here and to make a permanent deal with Leeds.”
Jonjo Shelvey, Newcastle United
One could probably pick any of the Newcastle players who have taken Rafa Benítez’s team shimmying to the top of the Championship. They are possibly the best collection ever at this level. Dwight Gayle is the division’s top scorer, Jamaal Lascelles has grown into his role as club captain and Matt Ritchie could probably still be in the Premier League if he wanted to be. But the standout player so far has been Jonjo Shelvey, who was not an automatic selection at the start of the season but has since established himself as the division’s most important playmaker. Shelvey has thrived under Benítez’s coaching, both physically (he has, perhaps alarmingly, lost a stone in weight) and mentally, getting rid of what he described as a “childish mindset” over the summer. “He controls games,” said Benítez recently. All this could be for little if a Football Association charge of directing racially abusive language at Wolves’ Moroccan utility player Romain Saïss is upheld. Privately Shelvey maintains he did not use the words alleged. He faces a lengthy ban if found guilty.
First sell-out in six years at Elland Road today. Feels big, buzzy, feels like Leeds of old.
#lufclive pic.twitter.com/XpGhzyOSbH
— Phil Hay (@PhilHayYEP) November 20, 2016
Updated
Louise has been all over this one this week. Here she is talking to Garry Monk, the man who looks like he’s cracked it - or at least getting there - at Leeds, despite a sticky ol’ start.
I’d only just become Swansea manager and Rafa was brilliant with me,” Monk recalls. “Afterwards we had a really good chat. It wasn’t one where he just shook hands and said he had to get on the bus. He sat down and talked for a long time, offering me advice and recalling his experiences as a young manager. I’ve got the highest respect for Rafa. His career’s been second to none so it’s great to come up against him, pit my wits against his tactics and try and win.”
Fancy a read of Louise Taylor’s interview with Isaac Hayden? You do? Lovely stuff. Here it is.
If Isaac Hayden required proof of the benefits of “Rafaology” he received it after rejoining the England Under-21 squad during the international break. “The England staff have really picked up on the change in me,” reports theNewcastle United midfielder. “They say that, compared to last season, my ‘game understanding’ is massively different. They say it’s obvious it’s down to Rafa’s tutelage.”
4 - The last time Leeds beat Newcastle in a league game at Elland Road was in September 1999, losing three and drawing one since. Memories. pic.twitter.com/0gJchbqxl6
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) November 20, 2016
Team news
Leeds United
Green; Ayling, Jansson, Bartley, Taylor; O’Kane, Phillips; Doukara, Vieira, Roofe; Wood. Subs: Silvestri, Cooper, Sacko, Berardi, Grimes, Dallas, Antonsson.
Newcastle United
Darlow; Anita, Lascelles, Clark, Dummett; Colback, Shelvey; Ritchie, Gouffran, Perez; Gayle. Subs: Sels, Yedlin, Mbemba, Hayden, Diame, Atsu, Mitrovic.
Referee: Graham Scott (Oxfordshire)
Preamble
It would be a little churlish to linger on the past. This is a game between two Championship teams of the present, one proudly astride the division as they were expected to be, another finally looking like they’ve cracked it, residents (or thereabouts) in the playoff places for the first time since Boxing Day 2013. These are two giant clubs who can genuinely think themselves out of place in the second tier. Despite one of them being there, or lower, since 2004.
But stuff it. There’s too much in The Past to ignore here, so let us wander down the alleyways of yore, and look at the history of this fixture.
Leeds United 3-4 Newcastle United, 2001
Let’s start with peak-era bloated Leeds, a side featuring vanity purchases Seth Johnson and Robbie Fowler, but also a bunch of bloody good players. Not that it was enough this time, as a 90th minute Nolberto Solano goal gave Newcastle them points. Newcastle, incidentally, were top of the Premier League and Leeds third, although they’d eventually finish fifth, the missing out on the Champions League that sent them spinning towards the doo-doo.
Newcastle United 5-2 Leeds United, 1988
The last time these two were both at this level we had quite the belter, as the sides met on the opening day of the season, Newcastle shimmied to a 5-2 victory and Micky Quinn had an absolutely lovely time on his debut, helping himself to four (4) goals. Leeds though, would have the Partridgian last laugh, as they finished the season top of the table and won promotion, while Newcastle suffered the ultimate kick in the swingers by losing to Sunderland in the playoffs.
Updated
Nick will be here shortly.
