Leeds 2-2 Brighton: Missed opportunity to beat world’s biggest club

It is accepted wisdom that any point away from home in the Premier League is a good point. So what does it tell us that Brighton left Elland Road disappointed by drawing 2-2 with The Leeds United?

It would be easy to answer that question with one thousand words dripped with sarcasm about Leeds being the biggest club in the world, top six chasing Albion pulling off an almighty shock, all pulled together with a sprinkle of #FreeBenWhite on the top.

But it it not the delusions of grandeur Peacocks fans have that is the reason the Albion departed from snowy Yorkshire unhappy with a mere point for their efforts.

Rather, it is down to Roberto De Zerbi. Our favourite Italian has risen Brighton performance levels and fan expectations to the point where drawing against the Champions of Europe/1996 Coca Cola Cup runners up feels like a missed opportunity.

Brighton led twice at Elland Road, squandered a number of other chances and conceded a couple of poor goals. Ultimately though, a 2-2 draw was more useful for the Albion than it was Leeds, who have now beaten Brighton just once in the past 13 meetings between the sides and never in the Premier League.

The Seagulls climbed to seventh, a point closer to Liverpool in fifth after Jurgen Klopp’s Redmen followed up a 7-0 win over Manchester United by losing 1-0 at Plucky Little Bournemouth.

Leeds meanwhile were overtaken by the Cherries and slipped second bottom. It is just as well for the Elland Road faithful that the Premier League table also takes into account trophies a club won in the 1970s, so that even if they finish in the relegation zone, they will be spared the drop into the Championship. That is how it works, right?

The home crowd became very frustrated very quickly when their team could not wrest the ball from the Albion. Brighton dominated possession throughout the opening 30 minutes and could have taken the lead on for possible occasions, only to fail to suitably test Illan Meslier.

Joel Veltman had a shot blocked. Alexis Mac Allister chose the wrong option when he elected to try a back heel to Pascal Gross rather than going for goal himself, allowing Leeds to clear.

The wonderfully named Robin Koch prevented Evan Ferguson reaching a Pervis Estupinan cross. Lewis Dunk headed a corner to the feet of Gross for a volley blocked with Veltman dragging the rebound wide.

Gross was heavily involved when Brighton eventually took the lead just past the half hour mark. A beautiful Double Gross Turn left Junior Firpo in a complete mess, creating the space Gross needed to cross.

His long ball to the back post was headed back into the six yard box by Kaoru Mitoma to the arriving Mac Allister, who powered his own header past Messlier.

Despite taking the lead and being miles the better side, there remained this feeling that Brighton may live to regret those earlier missed chances.

So it proved as the Albion gifted Leeds a way back into the game. Veltman squandered possession to Jack Harrison, needing no second invitation to charge into the acres of space now in front of him down Brighton’s right back position.

Harrison squared to Patrick Bamford to let fly from 20 yards with an effort the sliding Adam Webster helped lift over Jason Steele to level the game.

Not only was it a poor goal to concede but a terrible time too, coming three minutes before the break. Had Leeds not had their tails lifted and Brighton made it into the interval ahead, things might have turned out different.

The short time remaining of the first half was filled with a flurry of activity. Leeds fans had gone from booing and berating their side to shrieking with delight when Bamford got one-on-one with Steele. Thankfully for the Albion, the angle proved too tight and Bamford could only fire into the side netting.

Mac Allister then squandered a brilliant chance to restore Brighton lead’s. Estupinan released Mitoma down the left and his pull back found Mac Allister in acres of space on the penalty spot.

He had to hit the target at the very least but somehow managed to screw the ball wide, closer to the corner flag than the goal.

Having seen what Leeds could do when the Albion gave them the ball via that Bamford equaliser, Brighton took the interesting approach of gifting their hosts possession far more frequently at the start of the second half.

Steele made a brilliant save early on, plunging low down to his right to divert a Brenden Aaronson shot around the post after Bamford had done well in the build up.

Dunk had to make an outstanding intervention to prevent a Leeds counter and Luke Ayling produced an effort more suited to the rugby at nearby Headingley, lifting a volley miles over the bar from an unmarked position eight yards from goal.

Brighton badly needed to take the sting out of Leeds and they did so in fine fashion on the hour mark, scoring against the run of play to turn the tide.

Mac Allister fed Mitoma. The Japanese Bullet Train drilled a low ball across the face of the Leeds goal, Evan Ferguson got some sort of contact on it and when the Peacocks defence could not clear their lines, March tapped home from a matter of yards – although it was later credited as a Harrison own goal.

Leeds were deflated and Brighton really should have killed the game off. Messlier saved from a difficult March volley struck outside the box and through a crowd of players.

There was little you could criticise March about for that one. Likewise when Mac Allister slipped in substitute Danny Welbeck and the Leeds goalkeeper raced from his line to sprawl at Dat Guy’s feet and nudge the ball away.

Welbeck should have done better when dancing into the box and firing high, wide and handsome with only Messlier to beat. Not for the first time, Mac Allister was also wasteful.

Then came the inevitable Leeds equaliser with 10 minutes remaining which featured a lot of controversy just for good measure.

Wilfried Gnonto took a quick corner from what appeared to be a moving ball. There were then two balls on the pitch at the same time. What is not in doubt is that neither referee Paul Tierney nor the Albion were aware that the hosts had restarted.

Leeds ruthlessly exploited the confusion. Harrison collected from Gnoto, drove towards the angle of the Brighton penalty box and then sent an effort over Steele to make it Leeds 2-2 Brighton.

The Albion were livid that the goal was allowed to stand. But even allowing for the possibility of the ball not being stationery when Gnoto played to Harrison and the second ball being thrown on mistakenly from the crowd, no Premier League team should be falling asleep like that even for a second.

De Zerbi would seem to agree with that assessment (either that or he did not fancy another one-match ban and £15,000 fine). He said of the incident after Leeds 2-2 Brighton: “There were two balls on the pitch but we had to be more concentrated in that part of the game.”

“Because in that part of the game we had many chances to close the game, to kill the game and we have to learn and we have to improve in this part. When we have to close the game, we must be more tough.”

The final 10 minutes after the Leeds equaliser saw Webster give away the ball, make an incredible tackle to recover his own cock up and then limp off with another injury.

A final chance came the way of the Albion from a free kick delivered by March. It was nowhere near testing enough and the Peacocks were able to easily head away.

One point gained or two points dropped then? Ultimately, it will only be the moment the clock strikes around 5pm next Sunday when we know whether Leeds 2-2 Brighton was a good result.

If the Albion defeat Crystal Palace on Wednesday night to gain revenge for that criminal 1-1 draw at Selhurst last month and then see off Grimsby Town at the Amex four days later to progress to an FA Cup semi final, a point from Elland Road suddenly looks very valuable.

Lose the next two however and it becomes a missed opportunity. Not what you normally hear from a side who have taken a point from the biggest club in world football, but these are not normal times for Brighton under De Zerbi. As we will hopefully be reminded twice more over the next week.