Brentford 1 Leeds 2: Visitors stay up as Harrison sinks nine-man Bees in stoppage time to send Burnley go down
DAVID RAYA’S postman is sure to be busy at Christmas.
Bryan Mbeumo’s will have a few extra cards to deliver too, no doubt.
Leeds headed into this do-or-die day needing a helping hand from Newcastle at Burnley.
The Magpies did their job so Leeds just needed to avoid defeat to scramble to safety at the last hour.
And they were only still level at 0-0 heading into the 56th minute thanks to Mbeumo’s misses.
One either side of half time, both were golden chances - and both were terrible finishes.
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And then came Bees keeper David Raya with one of the most significant moments in Leeds’ recent history.
A cock up of the highest order, under no pressure at all he rolled it straight to Whites winger Raphinha at the top of the box.
The silky Brazilian then did Raya all ends up before the Spaniard’s outstretched left hauled Raphinha down.
Penalty, and a chance for salvation.
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Raphinha dispatched from 12 yards - but the job was not done yet.
Burnley pegged it back to 2-1 at Turf Moor shortly after Brentford’s Sergi Canos made it 1-1 in West London.
A Clarets equaliser and Leeds would be down - unless the Whites could find a late winner,
Brentford found themselves down to nine men in no time when Canos was sent off for two quick yellows before Kristoffer Ajer went off injured with no more subs to use.
A two-man advantage didn’t make it easier on the nerves.
But then Jack Harrison stepped up in injury time from the edge of the box to fire Leeds, via a heavy deflection, ahead and to safety.
They were dealt a massive blow ahead of kick-off when Marsch revealed that Patrick Bamford striker was out after testing positive for Covid.
The striker has featured only nine games of an injury-ravaged season but was “fit and well” for this crunch clash on Friday.
Calm heads were needed - but Leeds could have been behind ten seconds in!
Diego Llorente received the kick off and tried to launch it upfield but smashed it straight into Toney, who was in but had to settle for a corner.
A bag of nerves from front to back, players were running into each other, simple passes were being spooned out for throw-ins and it looked like being a long afternoon.
Then, 19 minutes in and a huge roar went up from the away end at news of a Newcastle penalty at Turf Moor.
Seconds later and there was pandemonium amid the pyros when Gelhardt got onto Jack Harrison’s through ball and slotted home.
Callum Wilson buried the spot-kick for Toon and the great escape was on…until VAR intervened.
Gelhardt was inches offside, leaving the home fans taunting ‘Leeds are falling apart again’.
But with Burnley 1-0 down, a draw would do Leeds just fine.
The Whites started to dominate a lacklustre Brentford but were dicing with death at the back.
Bryan Mbeumo skinned left-back Junior Firpo and set up Mathias Jensen, who was denied by Meslier.
And then just before the break skipper Liam Cooper’s heavy touch under no pressure saw Mbeumo played in, only for the forward to drag a huge chance wide.
A sweeping move cut Leeds open just after the break but Mbeumo fluffed his lines again, firing tamely at Meslier with all the time in the world.
At the other end, Raphinha set up Rodrigo to fire the desperate visitors ahead, only for Raya to get down to his right to deny.
Fifty-six minutes in and Raya provided the moment of madness nobody associated with Leeds will ever forget.
A howler of epic proportions, his underhit pass fell straight to Raphinha, who waltzed into the box, took it past Raya and was then fouled by his outstretched leg.
The Brazilian got up to take the pen, hopping and skipping on approach to send Raya the wrong way before slotting it to his right.
The Leeds fans were in raptures, and doubly so when Callum Wilson fired Newcastle into a 2-0 lead at Burnley.
It was still squeaky bum time, however, knowing a Brentford win would send them down
. And they were collectively bricking it when Canos headed Brentford level before Harrison settled it at the death.
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The Whites started well under new boss Jesse Marsch following the sacking of Marcelo Bielsa, but their form has taken a turn for the worse at just the wrong time.
After a run of five games without a win, a Leeds side that looked relatively safe, go to Brentford being anything but.
Following Burnley's 1-1 draw at Aston Villa, they must now better the Clarets' result to avoid demotion to the Championship.
However they did pick up what could be a crucial point as Pascal Struijk headed home a late equaliser against Brighton in a 1-1 draw last week.
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But Brentford will be in confident mood having dispatched another of the Premier League's strugglers last week.
The Bees picked up a 3-2 win over Everton at Goodison and go into the final day knowing a win could earn them a top half finish in their maiden top flight campaign.
