Leeds United and Leicester played out an exciting 1-1 draw at Elland Road on Sunday, with Raphinha and Harvey Barnes scoring to share the spoils for their sides.
The game began on an entertaining note with fluid end-to-end football, with both teams having chances to take the lead in the opening stages. Leeds seized control after the opening 15 minutes and rightfully grabbed the lead just before the half-hour mark when Raphinha’s thunderous free-kick passed everyone, including a downed Kasper Schmeichel.
Leicester equalised immediately after the subsequent kick-off. Jonny Evans pushed the ball forward, and Boubakary Soumare’s flick-on put Harvey Barnes clean down the left side. The attacker then switched to his preferred right foot and fired an incredible effort past Illan Meslier.
Youri Tielemans blew a golden chance while Jack Harrison volleyed the ball over the crossbar from a few yards out on either side of the break. Rodrigo squandered a similar opportunity at the back post as neither team was able to take their chances and score a winner.
Leeds had another fright shortly afterwards when some sloppy play from the back allowed Tielemans an opportunity, but Meslier brilliantly parried it away. That was the match’s final clear-cut opportunity, as both sides settled for a point. After an entertaining encounter at Elland Road, The Hard Tackle will now run the rule over both sets of players.
Leeds United
Illan Meslier: 6/10
It is difficult to criticise Meslier for Harvey Barnes’ heavenly strike, but the French custodian had a few shaky moments in goal again, particularly after the interval. He smothered away the ball late on to help the Whites hold on to a point.
Stuart Dallas: 6.5/10
Dallas lost Lookman at the back post for the offside goal. He was energetic and kept Barnes away from the Leeds goal but could not do much more to close down for the wonder-strike. He showed a good reading of the game and buzzed forward with great effect.
Diego Llorente: 6.5/10
Llorente kept one of the best Premier League striker Jamie Vardy in his back pocket. An overall solid defensive performance as he made two crucial interventions. He rarely put a foot wrong after a couple of wayward passes.
Liam Cooper: 6/10
Cooper was not convincing at the back at all. He looked uncomfortable when playing out from the back and put his side in trouble with his poor passing twice. He did post decent defensive numbers with three tackles, three interceptions and two clearances, but he needs to eradicate his error-prone passing from his game.
Pascal Struijk: 6/10
Struijk did not appear at ease but fared well in an unfamiliar left-back role. The Dutchman was composed and industrious as he largely kept Lookman at bay. However, he was well-beaten by the Foxes’ winger on a few occasions.
Kalvin Phillips: 6/10
Phillips has had better games than this in a Whites’ shirt as he struggled to keep track of Tielemans. The England international was not at his best in terms of distribution. He looked ineffective on the ball at times, which is uncharacteristic of him.
Adam Forshaw: 7/10
A fine display from the veteran after making a comeback into the starting XI. He helped control the game’s tempo with composure and a cool head in the middle of the park. Injuries have hampered him over the past two years but there is no doubting his vision and positional acumen.
Rodrigo: 6.5/10
The Spaniard looks to have finally settled in the striker role. His incredible chemistry and interplay with Raphinha opened multiple permutations of attacks for the team. Although his finishing was not up to the mark, he kept Ndidi busy, which paved the way for Raphinha & co. to pressurise the Leicester backline.
Raphinha: 8/10
Raphinha’s game by numbers vs. Leicester:
9 take-ons attempted
8 crosses
4 chances created
4 duels won
3 shots
2 interceptions
1 shot on target
1 goalAnother piece of Brazilian magic. ?? pic.twitter.com/RLc5Q0wdwP
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) November 7, 2021
The Brazilian speedster was a never-ending box of tricks and put up another dominating display. Some of the Leicester defenders were taken aback by his feints, and Raphinha was the biggest attacking threat on the pitch. Scored the only goal for Leeds with a well-hit free-kick.
Jack Harrison: 6/10
Harrison put up a much better performance after a rough few weeks on the pitch. Looked energised by the crowd. The end product was there, and dribbling was effective. He did miss an absolute sitter after being unmarked and a couple of yards out though. Desperately needs a goal sooner rather than later.
Daniel James: 6/10
James was vibrant early on but his shooting was a disaster on the day as he could not keep any of his six shots on target. He pressed intensely with his pace and looked capable of wreaking havoc on the Leicester defence, but his finishing left a lot to be desired.
Substitutes
Tyler Roberts: N/A
Did not play enough to warrant a rating.
Charlie Cresswell: N/A
Did not play enough to warrant a rating.
Leicester City
Kasper Schmeichel: 6/10
Although his kicking was poor, he did make a couple of vital saves. He could not have done anything to save Raphinha’s free-kick. Schmeichel showed his flexes, making near-post saves as the Foxes’ backline struggled to deal with balls from out-wide.
Ricardo Pereira: 5/10
Ricardo really struggled to get any foothold in the game while he was all over the place, credit to Raphinha’s footwork. He also was not able to cope with long balls into the channels. He was lucky to avoid a penalty scare early on.
Jonny Evans: 7/10
The Leicester skipper was more controlled and commanding than his centre-back partners. It’s crucial to keep him in shape, otherwise, the Foxes backline looks in shambles. He was again assured defensively, and Leicester needed his composure to survive the early storm of Leeds attacks.
Caglar Soyuncu: 5/10
Soyuncu seems to have developed a poor habit of making rash decisions and lapses in focus that have cost Leicester over time. Despite being on the correct spot to be able to defend clear numerous threatening crosses, his erratic passing was putting his own teammates under pressure. It is mind-boggling how much he has deteriorated since the Euros.
Timothy Castagne: 6/10
Castagne was as reliable as ever, whether cleaning up at the back, running up or down the left flank, or linking up with Barnes on interplays. He defended admirably for the majority of the game. Although, he could have contributed more in terms of attacking.
Leicester’s full-backs made nine tackles between them in the first half vs. Leeds:
◉ Ricardo Pereira (5)
◉ Timothy Castagne (4)The Leeds wingers have kept them busy. ? pic.twitter.com/bpziivNrbl
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) November 7, 2021
Wilfred Ndidi: 7/10
It was the type of gritty midfield encounter in which Ndidi typically flourishes, and he made the best of his challenges on the periphery of the box, precisely where the Foxes needed him screening the back-four. He was also one of the few composed players on the field, remaining calm in the face of intense Leeds pressure. The Nigerian destroyer was immense on the day in terms of defensive output, producing five tackles, two interceptions and seven clearances.
Youri Tielemans: 6.5/10
Tielemans was again creative in flashes. Lookman’s heavy pass let him down; otherwise, he would have found the back of the net. The passes were not always clicking for him on the day. He played his part defensively and tracked back a lot. He was taken off with a worrying injury.
Boubakary Soumare: 7/10
He was skipped by Leeds far too easily in the first half, but he grew as the game progressed, and he wound up doing some great stuff on the outside of the box, as well as using his athleticism in defence. He set up Barnes with a flick-on. He has quickly established himself as a major player in the side.
Ademola Lookman: 6/10
A few shining moments in tight areas with his exceptional ball-control driving his team forward. The decision-making in the final third could have been better. He had all the time in the world to weigh his pass, but he over-hit it to Tielemans. He was unlucky with the offside goal, and to his credit, he did a lot of defensive work, putting in five tackles.
Jamie Vardy: 5.5/10
Vardy was completely anonymous for over an hour, with Leicester asking too much from him by lobbing balls over the top, which he could not hold onto, but as City improved, his impact of the game also enhanced. He snatched the ball a couple of times to create chances, but overall he would be disappointed as he could not register a single shot on target.
Harvey Barnes: 8/10
Harvey Barnes has now been directly involved in 15 Premier League goals since the start of last season:
◉ 10 goals
◎ 5 assistsFinally off the mark this term. pic.twitter.com/wGhH520wR6
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) November 7, 2021
A stunning finish to earn Foxes a point, and he did cause a fair few problems for the Leeds defence when he was running with pace. However, after catching several kicks in the first half, he faded a little in the second half before being replaced.
Substitutes
Daniel Amartey: 6.5/10
His presence triggered an uptick for City defensively. He was strong enough to perform one acrobatic clearance and was aggressive.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall: 6/10
The youngster moved the ball well enough and put himself into good positions to influence play in and around the edge of the penalty area.
James Maddison: 6/10
Maddison displayed good footwork in tight spaces, especially for Ndidi’s late opportunity. He carved out a few half-chances.
