Javi Gracia explains plan that helped Leeds United collect 'good point' against Brighton

The in-form visitors dominated possession and played some good football that opened up the Whites at times, but United stuck to their task and came up with two great strikes to earn their 2-2 draw with Patrick Bamford and Jack Harrison their scorers.

"If you asked me before the game I would tell you we were looking for the three points but after the game we have to give value to the point,” said Gracia.

"Every point counts. After the game where we were twice behind, it's good for us to take one point.

"They followed the plan, they were twice behind and it's not easy playing at home, to follow the plan and wait for our moments. They did many, many things well. They deserve their reward, at least, of one point.

"At the same time we are disappointed. I'm not happy with the way we've attacked, we need to improve the way we started playing from the goal kick, we need to improve.”

Gracia explained why Leeds sat off at times, which led to frustration in the crowd.

He added: “I know what happens when you go to press the keeper, when you press this team, I've seen many games, I know what happens.

"We prefer to wait in a high press, wait for the right moment, to be compact in the middle, knowing we had two v two in a high position because McAllister and Ferguson drop some metres and make Robin (Koch) and Max (Wober) go with them.

"We had two players open in the midfield, one v one against March and Mitoma. We took risks. We decided don't press him from the goal kick.

“It is not easy but pressing this way we were able to recover good balls. If we were being more clinical we could have created some good chances as well.

"I decided it was the best way to do it, the players believed, we worked on it all this week. Of course I would like to be more aggressive, but pressing this way we took a high risk, putting our centre-backs in the opposite half and staying one v one with Mitoma and March and all the time pressing this way. It was the best way to do it and we did it.”

Brighton were the better side in the first half, but Leeds made a decent enough start with Brenden Aaronson getting in behind early on only for his ball in to fall just behind Tyler Adams, who was not able to get a shot away.

Jack Harrison teed up Marc Roca in space just inside the box, but his weak shot was blocked.

The visitors gradually began to take control with their Argentine World Cup star Alexis MacAllister at the centre of most of their attacks.

He hit a low drive wide after a corner was cleared then saw his low cross-shot well held by home keeper Illan Meslier.

At the other end Adams saw his strike deflected wide off a teammate and Harrison's cross sailed over Bamford in the middle, but Luke Ayling came in at the back post only for his shot to be semi-blocked and saved by keeper Jason Steele.

MacAllister shot wide from the edge of the box before he was not be denied two minutes later.

Pascal Gross got in behind the home defence and his centre was headed back across by Kaorus Mitoma to the unmarked MacAllister who had a simple job to head home the opener.

Home fans began to turn on their team as they were allowing Brighton more possession and trying to play on the counter, but just as the chants were in full swing about what was going on the Whites got a goal out of the blue.

Harrison won possession on the wing and played an early ball to Bamford who let fly from the edge of the box. His shot took a wicked deflection off Adam Webster and flew into the net off the crossbar to make it 1-1.

Suddenly the confidence came back and within a minute Aaronson played Bamford through, but the striker this time found the side netting with his shot.

Brighton sent out a reminder they were still here, though, with Mitoma getting free down the left to set up MacAllister who could only shoot wide from a good position.

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Leeds had their best spell of the game straight after half-time as they brought some urgency to their game and the crowd began roaring them on.

Aaronson hit a shot well over from the edge of the area then was much closer with a closer range shot that was tipped wide by Steele.

Harrison's cross fell to Ayling at the far post, but he could not keep his half volley down as he sent his effort over from about eight yards out.

This time it was Brighton's turn to score against the run of play as a comedy of unfortunate errors saw Mitoma's low cross met by home defender Max Wober, but he could only direct the ball at his own keeper and from the rebound Harrison put the ball in his own net trying to clear the ball under pressure from a visiting attacker

Now the visitors took a grip again and March saw his volley tipped wide by Meslier, who then smartly came off his line to save at the feet of substitute Danny Welbeck after he had been played through.

A massive sigh of relief followed a minute later when Welbeck wriggled through a poor attempted tackle by Wober and blazed the ball over with only Meslier to beat.

Leeds made Brighton pay for this miss when they made it 2-2 following a short corner taken by their own substitute to make an impact, Willy Gnonto. The ball was played to Harrison who from the angle of the box arrowed a superb curling shot into the far corner of the net.

Further promptings from Gnonto led to more promising positions for the hosts, but they were unable to make anything of them and were left holding on in added time as Brighton had a free-kick on the edge of the box and forced two corners.

The Whites defended the late pressure well, however, and were grateful to have picked up a point from the match.

Leeds United 2

(Bamford 41, Harrison 78)

Brighton 2

(MacAllister 33, Harrison og 61)

Saturday, March 11, 2023

Premier League

Attendance: 36,471

Leeds: Meslier; Ayling, Koch, Wober, Firpo; Adams, Roca (McKennie 66); Summerville (Gnonto 66), Aaronson (Rutter 84), Harrison (Sinisterra 90+4); Bamford (Rodrigo 66).

Brighton: Steele; Veltman, Webster (Van Hecke 87), Dunk, Estupinan; Caicedo; March, Gross, MacAllister, Mitoma; Ferguson (Welbeck 68).

Referee: Paul Tierney.