Leeds got the 2022/23 Premier League campaign underway with a victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers.
A full Elland road saw Jesse Marsch’s Whites take all three points in a very entertaining 2-1 win against Wolves. The host went behind within the first six minutes when Daniel Podence hit a volley into the ground after a clever knock down, to see the ball spin into the top corner off the underside of the bar. Leeds had started brightly, and it continued throughout the half. Wolves rode their luck at times and Leeds thought they had a penalty after the Wolves keeper Jose Sa came to collect a cross only for Rasmus Kristensen to beat him to it, subsequently taking the full force of the keepers jump into the side of his head. It was waved away and VAR agreed with the referee.
Leeds pulled themselves level in the 24th minute when Aaronson won the ball back in a dangerous area, and after the ball had bounced around the area it fell to Rodrigo, who dropped his shoulder and switched the ball onto his right foot and blasted the ball under a diving Jose Sa. Certainly the least the home side deserved. The half continued in the same way, end to end at a frantic pace. Leeds nearly went ahead when a whipped Jack Harrison cross eluded two lunging Leeds players as if flew across the six yard line.
The Second half started and much in the same way as the first, Wolves showed their early dominance for the first 10-15 minutes, but from then on, it was all Leeds. Their pressing and fast, energetic closing down all across the park reaped the rewards when they went in front on the 74th minute. Patrick Bamford put a perfect cross across the 6 yard line for Aaronson to slide in and divert the ball into the net. The goal was actually given as an Ait-Nouri own goal, although Aaronson will definitely be claiming it. Wolves rallied late on and Illan Meslier was forced into a couple of fantastic saves from set pieces but the host held on for a great start to the campaign.
Brendan Aaronson celebrates the winner against Wolves at Elland Road.
Managers Jesse Marsch and Bruno Lage clashed at full time but Marsch brushed it off, saying “It was nothing, I just had a quick word with Bruno Lage afterwards. I have a lot of respect for him and the way his team plays”.
Lage said “In these days we cannot say some things and i heard that in the first half. So from the first half until the end of the game we have a lot of time to shake hands to apologise. It didn’t happen and in the end it’s more difficult to accept because we have a long time to do that Nothing wrong between the managers, life goes on and now let’s look forward to the next game against Fulham”.
Player Ratings: Meslier (7), Kristensen (7), Koch (7), Llorente (7), Struijk (8), Roca (7), Adams (7), Aaronson (9), Rodrigo (7), Harrison (7), Bamford (7).
Subs: Klich (7), Greenwood (6), Gelhardt (5), Summerville (5).
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