Accidents will happen. They also have consequences. Leeds were playing well, certainly better than Bournemouth for the first 30 minutes until James Trafford committed a grievous error. The goalkeeper made a horrible mess of a pass to an unwitting Ao Tanaka. In stole Justin Kluivert to set up Evanilson for a fifth goal in six matches. Where Leeds’s confidence sagged, Evanilson continued to find the best form of his time on the south coast.
The Brazilian was full of tricks, flicks and intelligent movement until he was substituted. Thursday’s Prague assignment in the Europa League was being kept in mind. The continued rise of Bournemouth, celebrating a sixth successive win, is testament to changing times, a model club playing thoroughly modern football.
Trafford had fallen victim to a determination to chase everything down. Leeds followed three former European champions in Milan, Manchester United and Aston Villa in submitting to Marco Rose’s doctrines. Eli Junior Kroupi setting up Amine Adli for the stoppage-time goal that confirmed victory was the latest example of a club finding players others cannot reach.
Leeds’s historic rivals show that things can always be far worse. No need to press any panic buttons. Trafford has otherwise looked an astute summer signing, while recent transfer speculation has linked Dominic Calvert-Lewin with Manchester United. The striker’s career revived in West Yorkshire, he is surely too sensible to join Eric Cantona, Rio Ferdinand, Gordon McQueen and Joe Jordan in crossing the Pennines.
The patience shown in Daniel Farke has helped establish a Premier League club such that this result and performance registers as a disappointment. A different model to the analytics-led disruptors but with serviceable, solid recruitment, their promising beginnings were not built upon.
Tyler Adams, booed by away fans for the manner of his departure from Leeds, was a reminder of their 2022-23 relegation season. The American left an early marker on Gabriel Gudmundsson to lower his popularity rating yet further. Leeds’s defence meanwhile broke up Bournemouth’s sequence of scoring in the first eight minutes of their previous three home matches.
That laid the platform for Calvert-Lewin to get the ball in the net after a slick exchange between Jayden Bogle, Harry Wilson and James Justin. Celebrations were curtailed. An inadvertent rebound off the striker’s biceps as he bundled home called the video assistant referee into play. A goal was denied.
When a Wilson shot, from well within his range, whistled wide, Leeds, without a midweek assignment in the Carabao Cup, appeared much fresher.
Evanilson and Marcus Tavernier have been Bournemouth’s best, most consistent players this season. For that first half-hour, the pair were unable to contribute. In midfield, Tanaka and Ethan Ampadu held sway, their opponents unable to enact the usual pressing swarm. Then came Trafford’s rush of blood, bearing close resemblance to an error committed in Manchester City colours against Tottenham at the start of last season. This time, there was no wind to save him and Bournemouth finding their rhythm deepened Leeds’s plight. Tanaka punting wildly out of play as half-time beckoned embodied that collective sag.
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Trafford’s foibles continued beyond the break, home fans jeering another misplaced clearance. Such mistakes come as a result of Bournemouth zipping around with an energy that belies a small squad playing through a packed schedule. Calvert-Lewin, starved of service, was forced to drop deep in search of involvement.
A skidding free-kick from Tavernier brought partial redemption for Trafford, saving well. The arrival of Kroupi, edging his way back to fitness, added firepower that Leeds cannot match. Having scored nine collective goals in nine games, the burden on Calvert-Lewin is heavy, particularly when service to him is light.
A dead-ball opportunity was a best route to parity but Anton Stach, designated free-specialist, clouted the ball way over Djordje Petrovic’s goal before Leeds’s belated, feeble, push was killed off by Adli’s goal.
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