Daniel Farke thinks Sunderland playmaker Alex Pritchard “can’t even explain” how his header found Jobe Bellingham in the Leeds United box last night, as Sunderland secured a 1-0 win against Leeds.
Both sides came into the match with their tails up. Despite the sacking of Tony Mowbray, Sunderland had beaten West Brom on the weekend. Leeds meanwhile, had won six of the last seven league games.
But, Leeds struggled. They could not create the chances we normally create at the Stadium of Light – with Sunderland’s tactics strong. Eventually, Bellingham got the only goal of the game in the second 45.
A cross came into the Leeds box, which Pascal Struijk headed away – only for his header to arrow into Pritchard. The former Spurs man reacted instinctively, heading the ball back into the Leeds penalty area.
It flew perfectly into Bellingham’s path, with the Sunderland midfielder nodding Pritchard’s header past the on-rushing Illan Meslier. Farke claims Pritchard was lucky with his assist, on Leeds United’s YouTube.
“You have to make sure you travel back with a clean sheet. They are a threat. I can’t even accuse my players because we ran back, seven players behind the ball. We were unlucky,” Farke said post match.
“The ball was on the head of Alex Pritchard and he can’t even explain how the ball bounced back into the box. One of these days, disappointing,” Farke continued, speaking to the club’s YouTube on Tuesday.
Daniel Farke says Sunderland’s Alex Pritchard got lucky vs Leeds
There is no doubting that Pritchard got lucky, he will not have imagined that his header back into the box would have led to Bellingham to score. But, he won’t care and the space Bellingham had, was too much.
Even if, it was an inadvertent header into the box. Leeds should be closing those spaces down a whole lot more – and even, stop the initial cross coming into the box. The defence still needs improvement.
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