Bristol City 0 Leeds United 0 – Slumber at Ashton Gate. Leeds may have defended strongly and grew into the match but we lacked the final quality with too many passes going astray. Subs lacked sharpness and Leeds will feel like two dropped points. Five home games in the season Bristol City had yet to be defeated, and Leeds also couldn’t find a way through either.
Leeds United had made two changes with Firpo, the serial assister and offender accrued enough yellow cards to be suspended, with Byram brought in. James started for the injured Ramazani. On the bench was the new signing this week of former French International midfielder Josuha Guilavogui.
Bristol City started confidently and were organised. They held possession and looked more likely to score as Meslier had to face a few speculative shots. Leeds tried to walk the ball in to the penalty box but Bristol City easily snuffed them out. It was a scrappy first half hour as both sides nervously give away corners.
Towards the end of the first half Leeds had two big chances to score but in both cases James looked a little rusty. The first was a counter attack with only the keeper but his tap to Gnonto was poor. In the second his lob over the keeper was equally poor.
Leeds started the second half almost taking the lead with the keeper beaten but Vyner was on the line to defend. The match drifted with tired legs and lack of impact from subs as too many Leeds forward passes went either astray or got picked off by Bristol City.
Leeds subs Joseph and Solomon should have had some urgency and precision but Solomon in particular was underwhelming.
This match reeked of a soporific Saturday lunch time fixture that no one was quite awake enough to reward the lively Leeds fans with the type of performance befitting of a top of the table team. The chances were there for Leeds but no one had the clarity to get that win. This was not a match showing the necessary creativity with enough shots on goal. In return Bristol City offered little beyond a six man defence.
There were no stars in this match as Leeds lacked the urgency to win. Tanaka continued to be the rock in the middle of the park breaking down the Bristol City momentum. Game changers like Solomon and Gnonto simply lacked sharpness. Two dropped points.
Man of the match: Ao Tanaka can never be beaten.
