Leeds United’s victory over Chelsea featured many stars, as Daniel Farke eased the pressure surrounding his future with a much-needed win.
Daniel Farke has finally found a winning formula at Leeds after a worrying run of form saw his side lose four consecutive Premier League games.
The introduction of Jaka Bijol at the heart of Leeds’ defence allowed the Whites to dominate Chelsea physically at Elland Road in a statement 3-1 win.
Two of Leeds’ three centre-backs received praise after the game, as Bijol scored his first goal for the club and fellow central defender Joe Rodon was hailed as Leeds’ unsung hero.
However, after earning praise for marking Erling Haaland out of the game against Manchester City, Pascal Struijk did his best impression of a Leeds title-winner on the night that Howard Wilkinson was honoured on the Elland Road pitch.
What a win! Who was your Man of the Match? 🔥
Pascal Struijk produced a performance that resembled a Leeds United title-winner
Howard Wilkinson was inducted into the National Football Museum Hall of Fame at half-time of Leeds’ win over Chelsea, in recognition of his dazzling managerial career.
Although the star-studded midfield that guided Leeds to the title is the most celebrated element of the team, Leeds’ defence was superbly organised under Wilkinson and laid the foundation for their success.
Chris Fairclough starred at the centre of Leeds’ defence in their title-winning season, and was often asked to man-mark the opposition’s star player out of the game.
The most famous example of Fairclough’s impact came as Leeds faced Liverpool in their title-winning season, who had a prime John Barnes in their line-up.
However, Barnes’ impact was limited as Fairclough marked him out of the game, with Wilkinson describing his performance as “ruthlessly single-minded” after the game, according to Leeds Live.
Having controlled Haaland at the Etihad, Struijk was deployed in a similar role against Chelsea, shadowing Liam Delap and ensuring the forward had a quiet game.
While other Leeds players took the plaudits in the victory, Wilkinson would surely have approved as Struijk did his best impression of Fairclough in a quietly effective display in the Leeds defence.
Marcelo Bielsa’s influence on Pascal Struijk remains strong
In many ways, Struijk is the perfect option to play as the left centre-back in a back three, as he combines a strong defensive presence with a touch of class on the ball.
Although Jesse Marsch often used Struijk at left-back, helping his understanding of how to support Gabriel Gudmundsson, the influence of Marcelo Bielsa remains the most prominent.
The highlights of stunning Leeds United win v Chelsea 😍
Struijk is one of the few remaining members of Bielsa’s Leeds team, with the Argentinian asking his players to go man-for-man with their opponents in defence. As a result, Struijk is familiar with the demands of tracking a single member of the opposition.
Bielsa also regularly used Struijk in a defensive midfield role for Leeds, which means he is more than comfortable stepping out of defence as a ball-player, which he demonstrated several times against Chelsea.
All of that experience has culminated in two brilliant consecutive performances from Struijk against some of the most feared forwards in the Premier League.
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