James Justin and defence shine as resilient Leeds earn hard-fought point
Leeds United secured a valuable away point at Liverpool after a goalless draw that was fully deserved. The first half was largely subdued, although Hugo Ekitike squandered a clear opportunity, while Leeds created little in attack.
Liverpool posed the greater threat after the break, with Virgil van Dijk and Cody Gakpo both going close. Leeds thought they had snatched a dramatic winner when Dominic Calvert-Lewin found the net, but the effort was ruled out for offside.
The visitors stood firm under pressure and, at times, matched Liverpool stride for stride in the second half. Overall, it was a disciplined and commendable performance from Daniel Farke’s side.
Player Ratings
Lucas Perri – Failed to gather a shot cleanly on 12 minutes but dealt well with other efforts. Nearly booked for time-wasting and needed a warning from Ethan Ampadu.
Rating: 7
James Justin – Produced two outstanding blocks to deny Florian Wirtz in the first half. Used the ball well, stood up strongly to Andy Robertson and Cody Gakpo, and made several vital headed clearances.
Rating: 8
Sebastiaan Bornauw – Solid on his Premier League debut, aside from one scrappy clearance that he recovered himself. Looked composed in possession and positioned himself intelligently. Came close to registering an assist.
Rating: 8
Jaka Bijol – Dominant in the air and calm throughout. Looked less comfortable when pulled into foot races, though this was rarely exposed. Handled Ekitike far better after the interval.
Rating: 8
Pascal Struijk – Had a few shaky moments against high-quality attackers, with pace not his strongest attribute. However, he dealt with several dangerous situations and finished the game strongly.
Rating: 8
Gabriel Gudmundsson – Won multiple fouls and showed good intent going forward, despite a few loose actions. Delivered a typically reliable display defensively, with some excellent moments in possession.
Rating: 8
Anton Stach – Looked slightly uncomfortable on the right side of midfield. Not poor, but well below his usual energetic standard. Dragged one effort over the bar.
Rating: 6
Ethan Ampadu – Relentless and committed, though spent much of the first half chasing play. Tackled well and led by example. Booked for handball, ruling him out of Sunday’s clash with Manchester United.
Rating: 7
Ilia Gruev – Neat and effective in the centre, filling gaps well. Brave in aerial duels and on the ground, keeping his passing simple. Gave the ball away a few times but remained influential.
Rating: 8
Brenden Aaronson – Pressed tirelessly, winning possession and launching counters. Worked hard throughout but had limited impact after the break aside from one late burst.
Rating: 7
Lukas Nmecha – Battled physically with Virgil van Dijk but rarely came out on top. More effective when receiving the ball to feet.
Rating: 6
Substitutes
Jayden Bogle (83’ for Bornauw) – On too late to be fairly assessed.
Rating: N/A
Ao Tanaka (90’ for Gruev) – Introduced in stoppage time.
Rating: N/A
Noah Okafor (70’ for Aaronson) – Delivered a dangerous low cross late on that Leeds should have capitalised on.
Rating: 7
Dominic Calvert-Lewin (70’ for Nmecha) – Thought he had won it with a clever finish, only for the offside flag to intervene.
Rating: 7
Manager
Daniel Farke – Set his team up exactly as expected: defensively strong, limited in attack. Substitutions were effective and added energy. Managed the game well while keeping one eye on Sunday, and came close to pulling off a memorable win.
Rating: 8
