Leeds 1-4 Leicester: Player Ratings as Lethal Counter Attacks Secure Foxes Win
By Toby Bowles
Leicester City maintained their 100% away record with an emphatic 4-1 victory over Leeds at Elland Road, a win that catapults them into second and within a point of league leaders Liverpool.
Harvey Barnes capitalised on a calamitous Robin Koch backpass to put Leicester ahead in the second minute, before Youri Tielemans doubled their advantage to send the Foxes into half-time with a healthy lead. As it turned out, they would need it, with the pendulum swinging drastically in favour of the home side in the second half as they drew one back through Stuart Dallas.
It would not matter, though, as a late Jamie Vardy goal and a Tielemans penalty ensured Leicester's impeccable away record lived on.
Let's get into some player ratings.
Leeds United
1. Goalkeeper & Defenders
Illan Meslier (GK) - 5/10 - Seemed to offer little in the way of resistance for Leicester's opening goals, allowing Vardy to tiptoe round him for the first and parrying into the path of Tielemans for the second.
Luke Ayling (RB) - 5/10 - Uncharacteristically wasteful with his crosses - a sloppy display.
Robin Koch (CB) - 5/10 - Looked unsettled from minute one, gifting Leicester their opener with a suicidal backpass after two minutes.
Liam Cooper (CB) - 5/10 - Returned to the team from an ankle injury and was unable to inspire any confidence in his back four.
Stuart Dallas (LB) - 6/10 - Had a decent, unspectacular game, floating in the cross that somehow ended up in the back of the net.
2. Midfielders
Mateusz Klich (CDM) - 6/10 - Guilty of a couple of errant passes in the opening stages, but other than he looked solid at the base of midfield.
Helder Costa (RM) - 6/10 - Barring a few bits of trickery, he was unable to offer much threat in the final third.
Pablo Hernandez (CM) - 6/10 - Rattled the woodwork from range as he grew into the game in the second half, and so was angry to be substituted with more than 20 minutes to be played
Jamie Shackleton (CM) - 5/10 - Was granted his first Premier League start after an impressive cameo at Villa Park but was unable to make his mark on the contest and was substituted at half-time.
Jack Harrison (LM) - 6/10 - A somewhat subdued display from the in-form frontman.
3. Forwards
Patrick Bamford (ST) - 5/10 - Spurned a gilt-edged header early on which prefaced the subsequent Leicester counter-attack and goal. A profligate display upfront.
4. Substitutes
Ian Poveda - 7/10 - An energetic display that is bound to have impressed Bielsa, and one that indicates he's ready to start.
Tyler Roberts - 6/10
Ezgjan Alioski - N/A
Leicester City
5. Goalkeeper & Defenders
Kasper Schmeichel (GK) - 6/10 - Smothered Bamford's effort before half-time but allowed an innocuous-looking Dallas cross to drift into the back of the net.
Marc Albrighton (RWB) - 7/10 - Charged down the left flank with a bottomless store of energy. Makes a Duracell Bunny look work-shy at times.
Christian Fuchs (CB) - 7/10 - Strode out from the back confidently and looked assured in the back three.
Wesley Fofana (CB) - 5/10 - Not his imperious self at the heart of the defence, struggling to cope with a rejuvenated Leeds attack at the start of the second half.
James Justin (CB) - 6/10 - Deputised as a makeshift centre-half for the injured Jonny Evans and did okay.
Luke Thomas (LWB) - 7/10 - Still finding his feet at Premier League level, but the 19-year-old looked calm and confident, putting in a more than soli
shift in at left-wing back.
6. Midfielders
Nampalys Mendy (CM) - 6/10 - Tidy in his passing and protected the defence with those terrier-like qualities of his.
Youri Tielemans (CM) - 8/10 - Finished with aplomb from the penalty spot and was constantly on the lookout for potential counter-attacks. Knocked in his first from close range.
7. Forwards
Dennis Praet (RAM) - 6/10 - A diligent, unspectacular display from the Belgian. Helped his teammates out defensively and kept the ball moving in the final third.
Harvey Banes (LAM) - 7/10 - Slotted home the opener and combined with Vardy to devastating effect in the first half, but then looked disjointed with his teammates in the second.
Jamie Vardy (ST) - 8/10 - Rodgers had described him as "the best counter-attacking player in the country" in his pre-match interview, and he sure lived up to expectation in the first half, laying on a selfless assist for Barnes' opener and buzzing around with real menace. His verve seemed to fade as the game went on, but then he popped up with the third to seal the three points.
8. Substitutes
James Maddison - 7/10 - Not fit enough to start, but his quality shone through again as he threaded the ball through wonderfully for Under. Also won Leicester's penalty late on.
Cengiz Under - 7/10 - Involved in Vardy's goal and looked a threat on the break. Could be a very shrewd signing.
Wes Morgan - N/A