Bournemouth midfielder Ryan Christie has given his verdict on Leeds United after helping his side escape with a draw at Elland Road.
Christie played an hour of the game before being substituted, with Leeds leading at the time after Sean Longstaff’s first goal for the club.
Leeds were made to rue a succession of missed chances in the first half, which left the door open for the Cherries to fight back. Dominic Calvert-Lewin was particularly profligate, missing three golden opportunities in the game’s opening stages.
However, Leeds could have won the game after Joe Rodon scored a rare goal to pull them level and can take a lot of heart from the performance. Now, Christie has admitted that Bournemouth were lucky to escape with a point after a dramatic encounter.
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Ryan Christie admits Leeds United challenged Bournemouth
Speaking to the Bournemouth website after the game, Christie praised Leeds for knocking the Cherries off their stride at the start of the second half.
Highlighting the role of the Elland Road atmosphere, with Tyler Adams receiving a hostile welcome, Christie said that Bournemouth were pleased to escape with a point.
He said: “The way it went, we are probably happy with a point to be honest. The game went as we thought it would in terms of their physicality, and in a high-energy stadium, they feed off that.
“Throughout the game, there were peaks and troughs of controlling, being out of control, then trying to get it back again. In the first half, we played very well and limited them to very few chances. The frustrating thing was obviously conceding from the set piece.
“The second half was a different story. They started much better than us. We struggled to get a foothold in the game, but the boys coming off the bench were superb.”
Leeds United’s attacking stats prove their dominance
It is challenging to assess this result for Leeds in the heat of the moment. If Leeds stay in the top flight, it will most likely be viewed as a hard-earned point against a dangerous side. If the Whites fall to a narrow relegation, this game and the Fulham game will be seen as opportunities wasted.
However, Daniel Farke will be pleased that his side were able to go toe-to-toe with one of the most impressive sides in the Premier League this season, and the stats show that Leeds had the better of the game.
Leeds United’s attacking stats vs Bournemouth
- Goals Scored: 2
- Expected Goals: 1.84
- Total Shots: 19
- Shots on Target: 8
- Big Chances: 3
- Big Chances Missed: 3
According to FotMob, although Bournemouth dominated the ball with 59% possession, Leeds had a higher xG total, more shots on goal, more shots on target, and created more big chances.
However, this also hints at the stat that proved most costly, as Leeds missed all three of those big chances, bringing the nagging doubts over their lack of cutting edge back to the surface.
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