Leeds vs Norwich: Jesse Marsch picked up his first Premier League victory, but Leeds made terribly difficult on themselves as they beat the Canaries 2-1 at Elland Road on Sunday.
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The victory also snapped a six-game losing streak for Leeds (26 points - 16th place), who move five points clear of the relegation zone as a result. 18th-place Burnley currently have two games in hand, however, while 17th-place Everton have three.
Norwich (17 points) remain 20th, still five points adrift of safety, having also played three more games than Everton.
Leeds vs Norwich final score, stats, results
Final score: Leeds 2, Norwich 1
Goal scorers: Leeds (Rodrigo 14', Gelhardt 90'+3), Norwich (McLean 90'+1)
Shots: Leeds 13, Norwich 12
Shots on target: Leeds 7, Norwich 3
Possession: Leeds 53%, Norwich 47%
3 things we learned - Leeds vs Norwich
1. Leeds take flight on attack: This looked like the Leeds of “old” — not so long ago, just last season — when Marcelo Bielsa brought them up to the Premier League and unleashed his high-tempo, high-energy system en route to a 9th-place finish. That same energy and threat simply weren’t there from the start of season no. 2, but Leeds looked to be playing with a newfound confidence and hope that typically only comes from a new manager. It’s worth remembering that Sunday’s opponent is rooted to the bottom of the table and have now lost six straight of their own, but the fact that Leeds were massively improved from Marsch’s first two games in charge is undeniable.
2. Raphinha runs the show once again: Speaking of vaguely familiar sights not seen nearly enough this season, Raphinha terrorized Norwich’s midfield and backline for 90 minutes on Sunday. The Brazilian received the ball inside the final third on a vast majority of his touches, and he wasted no time running straight at the nearest defender, beating him and looking for the next obstacle. He was unlucky to have not scored a goal or two and probably should have had an assist earlier in the game as well. Leeds deployed the long ball plenty on Sunday, and it was almost exclusively Raphinha who was targeted on the other end. As Patrick Bamford regains full fitness and sharpness, Marsch is likely to lean heavily on the dynamic duo up top.
3. Norwich had plenty of chances: As good as Leeds were going forward, they were still rather shaky defensively and likely would have conceded multiple goals against most other sides not named Norwich. Such will be the sad story of their one season back in the Premier League, it seems.
Man of the Match: Raphinha - He was once again the player that some of the Premier League’s top-six sides were pondering signing for $60 million in the summer.
Leeds vs Norwich highlights
Rodrigo sneaks his shot through the crowd for 1-0 (goal video)
Kenny McLean grabs a deserved equalizer for Norwich (goal video)
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