Leeds United striker Joe Gelhardt has been caught shoving West Brom defender Darnell Furlong to the floor when his Sunderland side equalised against the Baggies on Sunday – as Tony Mowbray’s men came from behind to win.
Gelhardt, 20, started for the Black Cats on Sunday and lasted 73 minutes and while he did not score, Sunderland secured a vital away win over play-off rivals West Brom to keep their top-six hopes alive. They’ve climbed to sixth.
The England U21 international has been poor for Sunderland, scoring three goals and two assists in his 16 games since joining the club on loan in January. But it was ex-Tottenham man Dennis Cirkin that starred at The Hawthorns.
He got both goals to win 2-1. His first came after a lovely cross from Lynden Gooch, nodding the ball into the back of the net. In the immediate aftermath of the goal, videos show Leeds star Gelhardt shove Furlong to the floor.
Leeds striker Gelhardt caught shoving West Brom defender to the floor
Every Leeds fan knows that Gelhardt is an aggressive, tenacious player and plays with his heart on his sleeve. It is somewhat hilarious to see him react to Sunderland’s equaliser by pushing Furlong to the deck – as Cirkin headed in.
But he needs to be careful, too. In the Premier League, with VAR, who knows what might have been given. Raising your hands can easily lead to a red card and Gelhardt must find a way in which he can control his aggression.
Instead of taking it out on opponents, take it out in his performances – use his strength, his passion to get the better of Championship defences. He might have just helped add another three games to Sunderland’s 2022-23 season.
