Leeds United player ratings from Saturday’s 0-0 draw with Bristol City in the Championship.
Daniel Farke’s side missed out on the chance to go to the top of the Championship table, if only for a couple of hours, as they were held to a goalless draw at Ashton Gate.
Bristol City set out to stifle Leeds United’s free-flowing football and achieved just that, dragging the game down to an industrial affair.
Leeds had the better chances in a sluggish first half but only by a minimal margin as the game dragged by without much incident. They continued to dominate possession but failed to do much of note with it.
Here’s how the players rated in the underwhelming stalemate.
Illan Meslier – 6
Very confident coming off his line and claiming crosses, even very far out of the goal, but didn’t have an actual save to make on a largely quiet afternoon.
Jayden Bogle – 4
Gave the ball away in the middle of the park which nearly led to a great Bristol chance, if not for Byram.
Bogle wasn’t involved much going forward other than when he hit the side netting with a header he at least should have got on target. Sloppy in possession and will miss the next match after earning a yellow for a cynical trip.
Pascal Struijk – 7
Read the game well and was dominant in the air, a very solid display in the heart of defence and ensured the Robins didn’t muster a shot on target.
Joe Rodon – 6
A quietly assured performance in which he was rarely tested but didn’t put a foot wrong.
Sam Byram – 7
Was really good on his first league start of the season, coming in for the suspended Junior Firpo. Byram had a tough opponent on his hands in the tricky Yu Hirakawa but he marshalled him well with a series of tackles and blocks. The winger got the better of him once but Struijk was on hand to head clear.
He also created two great chances with fine deliveries into the box that Bogle and Joseph should have done better with.
Joe Rothwell – 6
Ticked possession on nicely but wasn’t that influential in building meaningful moves. Bristol’s resolute three-man defence did a good job in ensuring he could rarely get the ball forward to the attackers. Battled well.
Ao Tanaka – 6
All over the place to cut out any danger and operated nicely in tight spaces but, like Rothwell, couldn’t do much with the ball in a crowded midfield.
Dan James – 5
When gifted a typical Dan James chance to run the length of the pitch, the winger bizarrely veered away from goal and offloaded the ball with a poor pass that killed the promising counter. He also failed to dink the ball over the goalkeeper when sent through on goal.
Put in a good ball for Gnonto just after the break but did little else before being hooked in the 70th minute.
Brenden Aaronson – 4
The American created a couple of good opportunities but didn’t hit the target with either of them. He otherwise didn’t get the ball much on his flank.
Willy Gnonto – 7
Leeds’ only spark in an otherwise slugging and boring match. His perfectly weighted pass to James set up the best chance of the half and he stung the goalkeeper’s palms himself. Gnonto was constantly drifting into dangerous positions and showing flair on the ball.
He had a shot cleared off the line after the break, which he perhaps should have buried but Gnonto continued to be at the heart of everything positive Leeds did. Surprising he was taken off.
Joel Piroe – 3
Wasted a good chance to play Gnonto in with a heavy touch and was otherwise hardly involved. You’d have been forgiven for forgetting he was still on the pitch when he was finally taken off in the 70th minute.
Substitutes
Mateo Joseph – 5
Instantly involved with a header he could have done better with but did little else.
Manor Solomon – 4
Twice wasn’t paying attention to a ball coming his way and lost it.
Patrick Bamford – 5
Thrown on with five minutes to go but didn’t get a sight at goal.
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