Leeds 1-0 Burnley: Player Ratings

A hard-fought defensive display helped Leeds to a scrappy 1-0 victory, with a Bamford penalty enough to secure victory and help the Whites rise to 11th in the Premier League.

By Josh Ramsbottom@theleedsknees Dec 27, 2020, 3:12pm GMT

Leeds United v Burnley - Premier League — Bamford celebrates scoring from the spot early on.

Illan Mesler - 7.5

The France U21 international was put under plenty of pressure against a Burnley side well versed in aerial contests. He can count himself lucky that he did not concede a penalty in the first half when he clattered into Ben Mee’s back while defending a set piece, and he did not always look entirely comfortable when the ball was in the air.

His shot stopping was sturdy though, and a couple of routine saves in the first half were followed by some impressive second interval saves that denied Ashley Barnes at the near post. As Burnley desperately sought a late winner, Meslier made himself big and put his body on the line to keep a well earned clean sheet.

Six saves - four of which were inside the box - will be welcomed by Fantasy Premier League players.

Pascal Struijk - 7

While struggling with his passing accuracy, Pascal Struijk proved himself as a worthy stand-in for the injured Liam Cooper.

The Dutch defender registered three tackles, three interceptions and four clearances, while winning four ground and aerial duels.

He took his first team opportunity well, and looked more comfortable in defence than he has done in midfield so far this season.

Kalvin Phillips - 9 (MOTM)

Kalvin Phillips was central to Leeds’ best defensive display of the season, with his side under siege during much of the second half.

Playing at centre-back for most of the match, the Yorkshire Pirlo made countless headed clearances and read the danger on multiple occasions, executing his tackles well while staying on his feet.

With the European Championships drawing ever closer, this is the exact display Phillips needed to keep himself in contention for a place in the England squad.

Luke Ayling - 8

Far from the first time this season, Ayling showcased his Premier League credentials with his expert marking ensuring that Burnley could not make the most of their set pieces.

His attacking output had just as much impact on the match; his ball for Bamford in the opening exchanges was well-placed and helped the striker claim the winning penalty.

From then on, his defensive actions kept Sean Dyche’s side at bay. His brightest moment came when former Whites striker Chris Wood looked to plant a header at the far post, but Ayling’s positioning was enough to deter the New Zealand international, who subsequently headed over.

It was also an impressive passing display from the former Bristol City defender, who led the charts emphatically in the long ball department, completing nine of his 14 attempts.

Ezgjan Alioski - 6.5

A pass success percentage of 85 percent was the highest of any player to start the game, and Ezgjan Alioski was an unlikely source of consistency in a match where Leeds struggled to piece together attacking movements at times.

Doing his part to limit Burnley’s opportunities from set pieces, the North Macedonian did not give away a foul throughout the 90 minutes, while registering two tackles and five clearances during a solid defensive display.

One of those clearances, executed in an acrobatic fashion, led to a counter-attack that ended up forcing a good save from Nick Pope.

Mateusz Klich - 6

Klich endured a tricky game here, and was a source of mild frustration when his first half shots flew over the bar and scuffed wide respectively.

His slightly lower-than-usual passing accuracy of 81 percent was representative of Leeds’ struggle to put together coherent passing sequences, but still ranked among the highest percentages of Leeds players.

All of his ground and aerial duels were won, and four of his six attempted long balls were accurate.

Jamie Shackleton came on to replace the Poland international after 66 minutes.

Stuart Dallas - 6.5

Not one of the shining performers on the pitch today, but it was the workmanlike display we have come to expect from Stuart Dallas.

Although his passing accuracy of 73 percent was subpar, no one completed more tackles (3) as the Northern Ireland international was kept busy down the right side.

Jack Harrison - 6

With Burnley proving a tough nut to crack defensively, it was a predictably difficult game for Jack Harrison to get into, limiting him to 10 accurate passes and one accurate cross.

Some of his balls into the area were dangerous, particularly his cross for Rodrigo whose first half header sailed over the bar, but the Manchester City loanee was unable to replicate Raphinha’s attacking threat on the opposite wing.

He should have scored from the opportunity forged by his Brazilian teammate, but not for the first time this week he found himself lacking a clinical finish when meeting the ball in the middle of the box.

Rodrigo Moreno - 6

It was a difficult game for the Spain forward to dig his claws into. His best moment came just before half-time, when he found Harrison out wide before making an anticipating run into the box. Failing to direct his header, though, he scuffed the opportunity.

His other shot on goal came earlier in the game when he was laid off by Raphinha, but the effort was tame and did not threaten Pope in goal.

Otherwise, the record signing had a fairly quiet game as he looked to find the narrow space between Burnley’s midfield and defence. He gave away a couple of cheap free kicks in the first half and was replaced by Pablo Hernandez before the hour mark.

Raphinha - 7

A source of danger for Leeds once again, Raphinha was a bright spark during a cagey first half against Burnley. His promising run in the seventh-minute ended with a brilliantly clever through ball to Alioski, who wasted the chance, before the former Rennes winger laid off Rodrigo for his early shot on goal.

Raphinha remained alert at the half-hour mark, sweeping up possession from Ben Mee and dribbling into the box. Staying on his feet, he laid off Harrison in one of Leeds’ big opportunities of the match. A 40th-minute volley was held well by Pope, but the Brazilian was ultimately unable to add to Bamford’s early penalty.

Opportunities for the 23-year-old were scarce in the second half before he was replaced by Ian Poveda in the 70th-minute.

Patrick Bamford - 7

The former Burnley striker did well to get onto the end of Ayling’s through ball and win the penalty, which he struck home emphatically for his first goal from a dead-ball situation this season.

It was otherwise a more physical display for Bamford than anything else, and he was unable to register another shot on target. Burnley’s domination of the second half saw the opportunities dry up.

Pablo Hernandez (59’ sub) - 6.5

With Rodrigo struggling to deliver against a lively Burnley side, Marcelo Bielsa turned to Pablo Hernandez to provide some attacking flair in the second 45 minutes.

He came close to doubling the score from a counter-attack, deciding to go for goal rather than finding one of his three teammates alongside him. Aiming for the bottom corner, he was denied by a parried save from Pope.

Otherwise, Burnley’s domination went some way in nullifying the veteran’s impact on the match.

Jamie Shackleton (66’ sub) - 6

Replacing Klich, Jamie Shackleton struggled to add to the Poland international’s contributions. Ultimately, the youngster was subdued as the Clarets dictated the closing stages of the match.

Ian Poveda (70’ sub) - 6

Leeds United v Burnley - Premier League - Elland Road — Dale Stephens looks to tackle Poveda in the latter stages of the game.

Contesting five ground duels and attempting two dribbles, Ian Poveda was as lively as he could have been with Leeds largely on the back foot during the final 20 minutes of the match.

As is usually the case with the youngster, his skills on the ball were impressive but his final product was lacking. He was slightly more involved than Shackleton but still had little influence.