Leeds United were knocked out of the 2021/22 Carabao Cup last night with a 2-0 defeat to Arsenal.
The final half hour of the match turned into a routine victory for the Gunners as Leeds failed to replicate their first-half dominance.
Speaking after the match, Marcelo Bielsa justified his decision to make five substitutions - as is permissible from this stage of the competition onwards - as well as the timing of those changes.
The Leeds head coach was questioned on those switches in personnel due to the perception that United's intensity and their ability to cause Arsenal problems coincided with the introduction of three under-23 players.
"I thought Klich could take advantage of the chances we had in the first half as he's a more offensive player than Forshaw," Bielsa said when asked if all of his substitutions were tactical or if some were enforced.
"Then after, the change of Tyler [Roberts], the pair of Gelhardt and Rodrigo [I thought] we should attempt it."
It may have been an unintentional patellar reflex of Bielsa's, but his decision to swap Roberts for Gelhardt just seven minutes into the second half seemed to suggest the Argentine was not quite content with the team's start to the second half.
"The change: Cooper for Diego [Llorente], what I had in mind was the succession of games isn't always great for Llorente," he continued, preaching caution about the Spanish international defender's recent workload after he was withdrawn on 59 minutes.
"[Daniel] James and Rodrigo who made important contributions in the first half, as the game wore on they started losing the energy to constantly attack and generate movements. And I think [Crysencio] Summerville and [Sam] Greenwood could add a little bit of freshness and agility to our game," he added.
Liam Cooper's introduction saw the club captain make a crucial error in the build-up to Arsenal's second goal.
In heading back to Illan Meslier, Cooper's attempted pass with his head looped up into the air, allowing a fleet-footed Nketiah to seize on the loose ball, rounding Meslier in the process, before touching it over the line from a few yards.
Bielsa's other changes saw Leeds finish the match with four teenagers on the pitch: Summerville, Gelhardt, Greenwood and debutant Cody Drameh.
"Of course I'm describing intentions, and I also make myself responsible for the effects of the substitutions," the 66-year-old said of his changes.
"Evidently, the offensive game in the second half which is what we wanted to fortify, we didn't manage to achieve."
Leeds' next fixture is away to Norwich City on Sunday afternoon, a game which Bielsa hopes to be able to call on Raphinha and Jamie Shackleton who were both absent from the squad at the Emirates' Stadium.
