Leeds United vs Fulham. Premier League.
Elland Road.
Report and highlights from Elland Road
Sunday 20 September 2020 08:28, UK
Leeds picked up their first Premier League victory in 16 years after edging out Fulham in a seven-goal thriller at Elland Road.
The hosts looked to be in cruise control when Helder Costa put them 4-1 up on 57 minutes, but Fulham had other ideas and fought back through Bobby Decordova Reid (62) and Aleksandar Mitrovic (67) to give themselves a sniff of a point.
Both sides had opportunities to score in the closing stages but neither made them count as Leeds held on for three points.
Costa had put Leeds ahead on five minutes with a thumping finish at the back post before Mitrovic levelled from the spot shortly after the half-hour mark.
Mateusz Klich then restored Leeds' advantage four minutes before the break with a coolly-taken penalty of his own and Patrick Bamford extended that lead on 50 minutes after a delightful Klich pass.
Fulham remain pointless and sit 19th in the table, only above West Brom on goal difference, while Leeds move up to ninth with their win.
Leeds took the lead with the first meaningful effort of the game. Costa profited from some poor Fulham marking, as he brought down Kalvin Phillips' corner at the back post and rifled it into the roof of the net.
Robin Koch went close to doubling Leeds' advantage as he met another Phillips corner and saw it tipped over the bar by Premier League debutant Alphonse Areola.
Eight minutes later, Kock slid in and fouled Joe Bryan in the box and allowed Mitrovic the chance to equalise from the penalty spot. He stepped up and saw his powerful effort go underneath the body of Illan Meslier.
But Fulham shot themselves in the foot before the break as Bryan pushed Bamford in the back as he looked to get on the end of a cross into the box. Klich showed plenty of composure to send Areola the wrong way and restore Leeds' advantage.
That lead was extended just five minutes after the break as Fulham's defensive issues were exposed again. Klich fed the ball through and found Bamford, who took one touch before opening up his body and passing the ball into the far corner.
It looked like game over soon after as Bamford turned provider, cutting the ball back for Costa after beating Kenny Tete on the right. The winger found the top corner with another powerful finish.
Scott Parker sent on Reid and Neeskens Kebano and the former got his side back in it on 62 minutes, picking his spot in the bottom corner after controlling Frank Anguissa's through ball.
And less than 10 minutes after going three goals behind, Fulham had cut that lead to one. This time, Mitrovic rose highest in the box to head home Tete's ball in from the right.
The game was being played at a frenetic pace and only the foot of the post denied Fulham a famous comeback. Kebano shifted the ball onto his right foot in the box and saw his low shot hit the woodwork and bounce clear.
Areola made two saves in quick succession to deny Klich and half-time sub Tyler Roberts, while Mitrovic could only fire a volley straight at Meslier in the Leeds goal.
After a thrilling 90 minutes, the four minutes of stoppage time failed to throw up one last chance for Fulham to snatch a point and Leeds were able to celebrate Premier League football returning to Elland Road with three huge points.
Helder Costa set the tone right from the off with a fantastic finish at the back post and his second was just as impressive, finding the top corner with a first-time effort.
Away from his goals, he was a real pest for Fulham's leaky defence all day, be it with the ball or when pressing them high up the pitch.
Costa's first trip to the Premier League with Wolves didn't go as he had hoped - but the early signs are that he'll be just fine this time around.
Sky Sports' Paul Merson
Leeds look very good going forward. They seem so fit. They faded for 10, 15 minutes but then got another wind. Helder Costa won't get two better goals this season in one game. They were always a threat... but I do worry for them still. If they were playing against a top-drawer team with better forwards, I don't see how they don't get picked off for fun. But I love watching them.
"I really do worry for Fulham. Scott Parker has to think we'll have to score more goals than the other team to win games. I don't see them keeping a clean sheet; they're so open."
Leeds United boss Marcelo Bielsa: "It was a difficult game, it was difficult for us to defend and to attack and it was difficult for us to impose our style on our opponents.
"In the first half we allowed them to play out from the back too easily and even though we didn't defend too badly, we couldn't attack.
"In the second half after 4-1 they reduced the scoreline in a short amount of time but it was becase they played well rather than we played badly. From then on, we played well."
Fulham manager Scott Parker: "We can't give up goals like we have today. You can't expect to score four or five goals to win football matches. At the moment that's what it is. We need to learn from that. We need to work on that.
"You can work on everything you want but sometimes there is more to good defending and solid teams, that's a character. I'm worried that sometimes we need to smell it and sense it and it's not a structure or training thing. It's in crucial moments for the team that we need to change and sometimes I feel like we're a little too nice. At times today we were too nice. We need to try and change that about us."
What's next?
It's a Yorkshire derby for Leeds next week as they travel to Sheffield United on Sunday lunchtime, while Fulham have a Carabao Cup tie at home to Sheffield Wednesday on Wednesday night, before they host Aston Villa on Monday evening.
