Leeds United were on the wrong end of a seven-goal thriller, as they lost 4-3 to Newcastle United on Wednesday night.
The unbeaten run that Daniel Farke’s men were on prior to their trip to St James’ Park was always going to come to an end at some stage, and although Harvey Barnes’ late winner will have frustrated United supporters, the manner in which Leeds lost the game was admirable.
Leeds captain Ethan Ampadu summarised this perfectly in a statement following the game, saying the Whites lost by ‘fine margins’ that they will ultimately have to learn from.
Alan Shearer was one of the pundits impressed with Leeds’ gutsy performance, with the former Newcastle striker sharing his opinion on the game.
Alan Shearer sings Leeds’ praises after ‘great game’ against Newcastle
Although the game between Leeds and Newcastle was an entertaining affair, it did not come without its controversy, with Shearer himself claiming Newcastle should not have been awarded the penalty that led to them equalising in the 91st minute, before then going on to find a late winner.
But when analysing the game as a whole on a recent episode of The Rest Is Football Podcast, Shearer was impressed with Farke’s side.
“It was a great game… I was really impressed with Leeds, they were so well organised, and I don’t know, maybe it was their naivety or their bravery or whatever it was, but they kept on going and going, and they pressed Newcastle,” Shearer said.
“Went man for man and it was just a great game to watch… it was one of those great games of football and I guess luckily for Newcastle, they were on the right end of it.”
The fact that Leeds can gain this type of respect from supporters of a team in the Champions League shows that Farke’s men are heading in the right direction and are more than capable of staying up.
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Data suggests Leeds deserved to lose against Newcastle
Whilst for those watching, the game between Leeds and Newcastle was a tightly contested affair that could’ve gone either way, the data suggests that Newcastle were more than worthy of taking all three points, even if they did come in controversial circumstances.
| Stat | Newcastle United | Leeds United |
|---|---|---|
| Expected Goals (xG) | 2.44 | 1.89 |
| Big Chances | 3 | 3 |
| Total Shots | 18 | 14 |
During the game at St James’ Park, Leeds shipped the same number of goals as they did in their previous five matches combined, and whilst it was an entertaining fixture, Farke will want his side to regain the defensive solidity they have shown as of late, especially when they are playing away from Elland Road.
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