The Leeds XI to beat Brighton
Leeds United face fellow promotion challengers Brighton and Hove Albion in a huge Champonship clash at the Amex Stadium on Friday night.
The Whites moved up to fourth in the table as they beat Aston Villa 2-0 at Elland Road last weekend, with goals from Kemar Roofe and Chris Wood ending Steve Bruce’s eight-match unbeaten start in the Villa hotseat.
The form of Garry Monk’s men has been brilliant since the start of September, after they had made a disappointing start to the campaign, and they will be looking to record their third successive league win when they make the trip down to the south coast.
However, they face a tough task against the Seagulls who have been terrific all season and currently lie in second in the standings – one point behind the leaders Newcastle United and five ahead of third-placed Reading.
Here is the Leeds XI to beat Brighton under the floodlights…
GK: Rob Green
The experienced goalkeeper would have been devastated when his error allowed Dwight Gayle to score a simple goal in Leeds’ 2-0 home defeat to Newcastle last month, but he has bounced back well since then.
Green has conceded just one goal in his last two league games and he kept an impressive clean sheet in the 2-0 success against Aston Villa at Elland Road last week.
Garry Monk will need his number one to be on top form if the Whites are to take all three points against Brighton.
RB: Luke Ayling
While he might not have been a signing that overexcited Leeds United supporters during the summer, it was certainly a shrewd move by Garry Monk.
You know what you are going to get when Ayling steps over that white line; consistent performances, a will to win and quality at both ends of the pitch.
The former Bristol City man will need to be concentrating at all times when he comes up against Jamie Murphy.
CB: Kyle Bartley
The on-loan Swansea centre-back has quickly established himself as one of the best defenders in the Championship this season, while his partnership with Pontus Jansson at the heart of the Leeds defence has also become one of the most formidable in the league.
Dominant in the air but comfortable on the ball as well – as his manager Monk demands – Bartley has been brilliant this season and he will need to be again when he comes up against Glenn Murray.
CB: Pontus Jansson
With no experience of English football prior to his loan move to Leeds from Torino, Jansson’s performances this season have perhaps been even more impressive than his central defensive partner Bartley.
Following a string of strong displays in the backline, the huge Swede has made a real impact on the team’s supporters. On current form both the player and the club will want to make the temporary move permanent – either in January or next summer.
LB: Charlie Taylor
One of the most highly-rated defenders in the Championship, Leeds supporters know what they are going to get week in, week out from their left-back.
While he is solid defensively – as shown by his helping hand in the clean sheet against Aston Villa last weekend – he also has the ability to get forward and create problems for the opposition defence, although he will have to keep a very close eye on one of the league’s best performers in Anthony Knockaert on Friday.
CM: Kalvin Phillips
With the likes of Eunan O’Kane currently injured and Alex Mowatt struggling to get into the starting XI, Phillips and Ronaldo Vieira have at times formed something of an inexperienced central midfield partnership.
Despite the lack of games in their respective careers, however, they have brought quality to the middle of the park and their defensive abilities helped Leeds keep a clean sheet in the impressive victory against Villa last Sunday, which has moved them ever closer to the automatic promotion spots.
CM: Ronaldo Vieira
Following some of his impressive showings this season, it is hard to believe that the wonderfully named Ronaldo Vieira is just 18 years of age.
A stunning winning goal against Norwich was one of his highlights of the campaign and the youngster certainly deserves to keep his spot in the central midfield alongside Phillips following a brilliant showing. against Villa last weekend.
Vieira has made a strong case for holding on to the position in the coming weeks.
RAM: Hadi Sacko
In many ways Sacko is a typical winger – sometimes he can be a menace and cause mayhem, while other times he can go missing and be inconsistent.
But when he is on his game, he is a huge threat to opposition defences and after picking up an assist for Chris Wood against Villa last weekend, when his shot at goal was only half-saved, he will almost certainly be given the opportunity to attack stand-in Brighton left-back Sebastien Pocognoli on Friday.
CAM: Kemar Roofe
It finally happened. After going 22 matches without scoring a goal for his new club, Roofe opened his account for Leeds with a fine header against Aston Villa.
The £3m summer signing from Oxford United – who scored 26 goals for the U’s last season – should be full of confidence in front of goal and he will be ready double his tally against Brighton, helping move the Whites further up the Championship standings.
LAM: Souleymane Doukara
Like Sacko, Doukara has often been criticised for his inconsistency on the wing, but the forward is starting to put in impressive performances every time he steps over that white line.
A goal in the 2-1 win against Yorkshire rivals Rotherham United was followed up by another assist in the success against Aston Villa as his centre ball was headed in by Kemar Roofe.
The 25-year-old will be looking for more of the same on the south coast.
ST: Chris Wood
Wood is Leeds’ top goalscorer this season with 10 league goals – 13 in all competitions – and he added another to his impressive tally last weekend as he reacted quickest to force the ball home after Sacko’s shot had been saved.
After also scoring the previous weekend against Rotherham, the New Zealand international will be aiming to notch for the third successive Championship match, and he certainly has some in-form players behind him to create the chances.