The Times - UK (2022-01-03)

the times | Monday January 3 2022 2GG 5

thegame

Lowton was struck in the face while

he was celebrating Burnley’s equaliser

Paul Tierney, who is likely to include

the incident in his match report,

which will be with the FA today.

It is the second bottle thrown from

the crowd to hit a visiting player at

In celebration Cornet ran to the

corner of the Don Revie Stand, and as

his team-mates joined him, Lowton

was struck with a Coke bottle. The

defender stayed on his feet but was

given treatment by the Burnley

medical staff.

Leeds found strength late in the

game. Dallas’s tireless running is a

feature of Bielsa’s side, but there are

moments of genuine quality from the

Northern Ireland international as

well. A quick corner was worked to

Dallas, in the 77th minute, on the

edge of the Burnley penalty area,

and his left-footed finish was perfectly

placed into the far corner of

Hennessey’s goal.

There was renewed energy after

that and in stoppage time the

substitute Joe Gelhardt crossed from

the right. James’s downward header

struck the left arm of Hennessey but

the momentum and the spin of the

ball carried it into the Burnley goal.

“This season we have tried to offer

some changes in the way we play,

using the ball better, but you can’t

take away the hunger and desire,”

Sean Dyche, the Burnley manager,

said. “They had the edge against us

with that desire. We opened them up,

found some really good chances and

didn’t take them. We hurt ourselves.

“I wouldn’t say we are shooting

ourselves in the foot but we are

making little moments that are big

moments. Everyone is looking at

everyone else to do something and

I spoke to the players about it.”

James brings relief in

hard times for Bielsa

It looked like the hug of two long-lost

brothers, Marcelo Bielsa’s head buried

into the shoulder blade of one of his

coaches, arms wrapped around each

other in the tightest of clenches.

All over Elland Road was boisterous

celebration, after Dan James’s

downward header had spun into the

Burnley goal deep into stoppage time.

The bad run was officially over,

the heavy defeats away to Manchester

City and Arsenal forgotten, for that

moment at least. Bielsa’s relief was

huge and obvious. This has been

his hardest time as Leeds United’s

head coach.

The love-in returned with a display

filled with vigour and verve, only

marred by a bottle thrown at

Matthew Lowton after Burnley’s

equalising goal from Maxwel Cornet.

How Burnley will miss Cornet

when he heads off to the Africa Cup

of Nations with the Ivory Coast this

week. Their position became more

perilous in defeat, two points behind

Watford, who are fourth from bottom,

and eight behind their victorious

opponents. Bielsa knew the enormity

of a win that came late, through goals

from Stuart Dallas and James.

“Yes, of course, there is a sense of

relief,” he said. “I don’t ignore the

situation that we are in and I also

don’t ignore what my responsibilities

are and that can’t not influence my

state of mood.

“As you well know in football, every

week you have to prove yourself

again and even if the performance

today was a step forward, we need to

maintain that level against any

opponent and on any pitch. We

managed to get a fair victory.”

Leeds went ahead after an error in

a game littered with them. James

Tarkowski was slow to sense any

danger as the ball reached him

midway inside his half in the 39th

minute. He played a sloppy pass that

Jack Harrison cut out, and from then

Burnley were back-pedalling.

Harrison’s delicate body feint when

he was running at Tarkowski opened

the space for a quick angled shot that

Wayne Hennessey, in for Nick Pope

after he tested positive for Covid-19,

parried, but only as far as the Leeds

winger, and there followed a quick

shot that sneaked into the Burnley

goal at the near post.

The sense of relief was huge. Leeds

had been the superior team until that

point, but theirs has been a punishing

Christmas period. Raphinha clipped

the bar with an audacious lob from 40

yards and Hennessey did well to save

a clever back-heel from Junior Firpo.

Illan Meslier was sharp to deny a

first-time shot from Chris Wood just

after the half-hour mark and before

the goal Tyler Roberts had headed

wide from a good position.

The game would change with the

half-time introduction of Cornet.

It was from his tussle with Diego

Llorente, for which the defender was

booked, about 30 yards from the

Leeds goal that the opportunity to

draw level would come.

It was a beautiful free kick, bent

around the Leeds wall and beyond

the outstretched right fingertip

of Meslier.

3

Harrison 39, Dallas 77

James 90+2

RATINGS

Leeds United (3-4-3): I Meslier 6 — L Ayling 7, R Koch

7, D Llorente 6 — S Dallas 8, M Klich 7, A Forshaw 8,

J Firpo 6 — Raphinha 8, T Roberts 6 (J Gelhardt

58min, 5), J Harrison 7 (D James 62, 7).

Booked Roberts, Llorente.

Burnley (4-4-2): W Hennessey 5 — M Lowton 6,

J Tarkowski 5, B Mee 6, C Taylor 7 — D McNeil 5,

A Westwood 6, J Cork 5, J Gudmundsson 5

(M Cornet 46, 6)— C Wood 6 (M Vydra 84),

A Lennon 5 (J Rodriguez 80). Booked Tarkowski.

Referee P Tierney.

Leeds Utd Burnley

1

Cornet 54

MARTIN HARDY

James twists to head the third past Hennessey and send Elland Road into raptures

Lowton hit by bottle thrown from stand

Leeds United are facing a potential

FA investigation after the Burnley

defender Matthew Lowton was struck

on the head by a bottle thrown from

the home supporters at Elland Road.

Lowton was hit by a bottle hurled

from the Don Revie Stand as he

celebrated Maxwel Cornet’s equaliser

early in the second half. That

infuriated Leeds fans behind the goal

and, as he was joined by his team-

mates, a plastic Coca-Cola bottle,

which appeared to be half full, struck

the side of Lowton’s head.

He needed treatment from a

member of Burnley’s medical staff and

the game was stopped by the referee,

Elland Road this season. Brentford’s

Sergi Canós was struck last month

during the 2-2 draw. He too was

celebrating.

“It is very disappointing but I don’t

want to keep advertising these things

because I thought the crowd were

magnificent,” Sean Dyche, the

Burnley manager, said.

“There was one who let themselves

down. Matthew is OK.”

Last month Arsenal complained

about alleged racist abuse directed

at their substitutes during their

victory at Elland Road. One

supporter was arrested in connection

to the allegations.

Leeds also condemned homophobic

chanting during their game against

Crystal Palace in November.

MARTIN HARDY

STU FORSTER/GETTY IMAGES

CATHERINE IVILL/GETTY IMAGES

THE MATCH IN A GRAPHIC

Statisticians Opta show who was on top throughout game

Attacking threat

0 mins 15 30 45 45 60 75 90

42’ 46’

9’ Liverpool

goals

Chelsea

goals

First half Second half

Liverpool more threatening

Chelsea more threatening

26’

in the 1970s and 1980s, all the parts I

missed returned yesterday. We could

cheer on Chelsea passionately and

have a brilliant sing-song.

Equally, all the reasons why all-

seater stadiums were enforced by law

were not present. Allocating each

ticket-holder their own space kept us

sufficiently spread out, and the

absence of spectators barging in

where they were not supposed to be

prevented any safety risks.

I am now even more optimistic

about the future of the scheme. There

are five clubs participating in the pilot

this season and I am very confident

that each stadium will follow Chelsea’s

lead by showing what safe-standing is

all about.

Fans enjoyed a return to tradition at

Stamford Bridge while notices

marked the era of safe-standing