Bielsa’s hopes kick the bucket
Norwich spoil party but Krul was lucky to stay on pitch
NORWICH goalkeeper Tim Krul dodged a red card as his side leapfrogged Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds United to the top of the Championship last night.
The away-day specialists stunned Bielsa’s front-runners with a goal in each half from Mario Vrancic and another from leading scorer Teemu Pukki.
The Canaries now lead the table on goal difference but Leeds were left fuming after 26 minutes when Krul rushed outside his area at 1- 0 to jump into Tyler Roberts, felling the striker as he lobbed into the side-netting.
Though referee Stuart Attwell decided Norwich had defenders covering the goal-line to let Krul off with a booking, the ferocity of the challenge would probably have led to a dismissal if committed by a defender.
Looking at the bigger picture, Leeds must be getting worried.
Bielsa’s side have now lost five of their last seven in all competitions while Norwich boss Daniel Farke has seen his side lose only one league game since early October.
Norwich have suffered just one defeat on the road all season.
With Elland Road housing its first sell- out for t wo years and t he Yorkshire Evening Post splashing it as ‘The Showdown’, you could smell the anticipation.
The teams were in first and second place and both were desperate to return to the Premier League.
Bielsa is the 16th manager Leeds have employed since losing their top-flight status in 2004 but by far the most charismatic.
The Argentine is revered by Pep Guardiola, sits on a bucket to watch games and is thorough enough to ask staff to hide in bushes to watch opponents train.
Norwich , mean while , have surpassed expectations under their impressive German coach Farke. The wall of noise that greeted kick-off was like the Elland Road of old, the days of Billy Bremner through Eric Cantona to Alan Smith and Harry Kewell.
A minute’s applause in memory of ex-Leeds striker Phil Masinga and young fans from both teams added to the emotion.
Maybe Leeds were too pumped up. They started on the front foot but when Norwich broke forward for the first time after five minutes Swedish World Cup defender Pontus Jansson dived into a tackle and gave Vrancic a free- kick chance from 25 yards.
The Bosnian did not waste the invitation, his curler striking Adam Forshaw on the end of the wall and looping over Kiko Casilla into the top corner of the net. It was his sixth goal of the season.
Leeds responded in true Bielsa fashion — at full pelt. Roberts tested Krul and left-back Ezgjan Alioski broke forward to flash a shot wide. Forshaw also fired in a strike.
Norwich felt aggrieved when Jansson escaped after catching Marco Stiepermann with a flailing arm, though the Norwich player wasn’t badly hurt. There was greater controversy when Krul then ran outside his box to clatter Roberts in the game’s big moment.
With Leeds calling for a red card, referee Attwell produced a yellow, obviously feeling that covering defenders prevented it being a goalscoring opportunity.
At the other end Norwich threatened sporadically but were dangerous when they did.
Casilla, making his home debut after signing from Real Madrid, spread himself well after Emiliano Buendia rode a couple of challenges before eventually getting his shot away.
Leeds did not heed the warning, though. After 35 minutes Norwich struck again.
The lively Buendia robbed Forshaw in midfield and led a clever
counter-attack. Vrancic shot from the edge of the box and it deflected kindly into the path of Pukki, who had a tap-in for his 21st goal of the season and his third in a row.
Leeds were desperate to get back into the game before the interval but when Luke Ayling did put the ball into the net in injury-time, referee Attwell ruled it out for a foul by Jansson.
Keeper Krul had run over to the Norwich fans to celebrate their second goal, earning a reminder from his skipper Christoph Zimmerman to stay focused in case Leeds mounted a second-half assault.
Bielsa seemed more energised as he came out after the interval, leaving his bucket to venture into the technical area, arms behind his back with a little glare and gesture here and there.
The impact on United’s players wasn’t immediately apparent as Norwich tried to take the sting out of the game. Leeds striker Kemar Roofe got a piece of Krul’s mind when he fell over dramatically after a challenge from Zimmerman. It was a wildly ambitious claim for a penalty.
Bielsa sent on striker Patrick Bamford on the hour mark for his first action of 2019. But worryingly for the home side Norwich had a great chance to score their third when full-back Max Aarons burst forward and shot wide.
Roofe was booked a s Leeds frustrations grew.
And Norwich wrapped up the points after 77 minutes when Jamal Lewis crossed from the left and Vrancic connected first-time with his left foot from 12 yards.
The 3-0 scoreline mirrored Leeds’ United’s win at Carrow Road at the start of the season when things were so different.
Patrick Bamford did manage a Leeds consolation when he headed in a corner in injury-time — and then he confronted Krul at the end as they squared up angrily.