Leeds United returned to the top of the Championship table on Monday night after a dramatic 2-1 win over fellow promotion-chasers Sunderland at Elland Road.
The Whites found themselves 1-0 down heading into the half-time break after Wilson Isidor got the better of Ethan Ampadu inside the box and rifled an effort in off the far post.
Before the match, Football FanCast suggested that Pascal Struijk should have been brought in to silence the French forward, but Daniel Farke stuck by his captain in the centre-back position and it was a call that did not pay off in the opening 45 minutes.
The Dutch central defender eventually got onto the pitch in the second half, but it was his play at the other end of the pitch that ultimately made the difference.
Pascal Struijk’s match-winning contributions
Struijk, who recently returned from injury, was not selected to start alongside Joe Rodon at the heart of the defence, as Ampadu was preferred in the left-sided centre-back position.
The left-footed titan won his only aerial battle from a defensive perspective but did not have to make any tackles, interceptions, clearances, or blocks, as his team were in the ascendancy towards the end of the match.
Instead, Struijk was needed at the other end of the pitch and it was his deft flick of the head to divert a set-piece into the back of the net, as Luke O’Nien failed to make a clearance on the line.
As you can see in the clip above, the former Ajax defender then sent the stadium into pandemonium with another header to win the match for the Whites in stoppage time.
Whilst, understandably, Struijk will take the headlines after coming off the bench to turn the game around with two goals as a centre-back, it was Joe Rothwell who was the real hero for Daniel Farke on the night.
Why Joe Rothwell was the real hero for Leeds
The Bournemouth loanee came on at the same time as Struijk when the German head coach made the bold call to withdraw Ilia Gruev and Ao Tanaka from the match, placing Rothwell and Ampadu in the middle of the park.
It was a masterstroke of a move by the former Norwich City head coach as it allowed the English midfield maestro to get on the ball and dictate the play.
Rothwell only had 23 touches of the ball, fewer than Illan Meslier’s 33, but that was still an average of more than one per minute due to the lateness of his introduction.
|
Vs Sunderland |
Joe Rothwell |
|---|---|
|
Minutes played |
19 |
|
Pass accuracy |
100% (19/19) |
|
Key passes |
2 |
|
Assists |
2 |
|
Cross accuracy |
100% (3/3) |
As you can see in the table above, the central midfielder was incredibly efficient with his play in possession, completing 100% of his passes and crosses, and was integral to both goals.
It was a beautiful delivery from a free-kick for the equaliser, but his assist for the second was even better. Most players may have taken the first opportunity to cross the ball in on their strong foot but Rothwell had the presence of mind to sell the defender and move into the box before whipping the ball towards goal to create more danger.
Related
Leeds keeping an eye on £20k-p/w ace who will be a free agent in the summer
Leeds are looking to take advantage of a player’s contract situation this summer.
That intelligent piece of play turned what may have been a speculative outswinging cross into a huge chance for Struijk to head into an empty net from a couple of feet out.
Therefore, Rothwell was the real hero on the night for Farke because it was his sensational creative play that, ultimately, provided the centre-back with the chances to be the match-winner.
