What Were We Worried About?

As away days go, they don't get much more satisfying than Leeds' trip to Molineux on Saturday afternoon: a comeback win, 3 goals, with 2 of them coming from open play. Glorious stuff. Before the game, I was keen not to get carried away and overstate the significance of this early season fixture. However, Leeds won, so fuck it, that was massive. Not only did we go away and win, we did so against a team who are considered to be a relegation rival. Leeds move to 7 points, while Wolves stay rooted to the foot of the table with 0. A sizeable gap already.

Perfect Chance for Redemption

Leeds arrived at Molineux on the back of an incredibly unlucky loss to Fulham after Gudmundsson's freak stoppage-time own goal. A tough one to swallow, but Wolves offered the perfect chance to cast aside those demons. Wolves themselves were desperate for a result in order to break a season-starting 4 game losing streak, with their last game being a narrow 1-0 defeat away to Newcastle.

First Half

Missed Opportunity

Leeds started brightly, and should have made the most of an early opportunity. A smart 1-2 between Gudmundsson and Stach found the Leeds left-back in behind the Wolves defence. Gudmundsson played the ball across goal, but no one was there to get on the end of it. Only Dominic Calvert-Lewin was making any effort to get into the 6 yard-box, but he couldn't shake the Wolves defender. The ball flashed across the Wolves goal, begging for someone to put it into the gaping net. The fact that the ball rolled across the 6 yard box, without any Leeds player being particularly close to it, was indicative of a team struggling to score goals.

Wolves Take the Lead

Leeds paid for that squandered chance almost immediately: the ball was played into Arokodare, who laid the ball off to Lopez, Lopez then played a brilliantly weighted pass, behind the Leeds defence, towards the penalty spot. Krejci took advantage of Sean Longstaff's lapse in concentration, to run onto the ball and fire home. It was a nice move, but a very avoidable goal to concede from Leeds' point of view, and Longstaff in particular will be kicking himself.

Calvert-Lewin Equalises

Despite going a goal behind, Leeds were controlling the tempo, but without laying a glove on Wolves. They were very comfortable letting the Leeds midfield move the ball from one side of the pitch to the other, without creating anything. Then, just after the half-hour mark, Leeds scored. Finally, a goal from open play. I'd only just finished bemoaning the lack of cutting edge to my Dad, when Dominic Calvert-Lewin leapt gloriously to meet Jayden Bogle's deflected cross, and sent a looping header past Jose Sa. Jubilation and relief.

Stach Screamer

Scoring that first goal from open play seemed to unleash a new confidence within the team. A mere 5 minutes later, DCL was bundled over outside the Wolves box; 25 yards out, perfect shooting range. 3 players stood over the ball, but when the referee blew the whistle it was Anton Stach who ran up and smashed the ball into the Wolves top corner. A beautiful strike, and what a way to score his first goal for the club.

Rampant Leeds

By now Leeds were rampant and looking for more. As the clock ticked down towards half-time, Agbadou's sloppy pass was intercepted by Stach, who drove forward with the ball, before playing in Okafor on the left. Okafor ran onto the ball, drilling a low shot across Sa and into the far corner. What a way to end the first half. Within 15 minutes, Leeds had turned the game on its head. The players were buzzing, and the fans were ecstatic. Wolves, on the other hand, looked bereft.

Second Half

Vitor Pereira made a triple substitution at half-time, hoping to shock his Wolves team into action. His efforts were in vain, though, and the 2nd-half passed largely without incident. Leeds sat back, happy to let Wolves have the ball. Karl Darlow made a couple of smart saves, but Leeds were comfortable. The two-goal cushion obviously helped with the nerves and tension, however. I doubt it would have felt like such plain sailing had Wolves pulled one back. Why worry about hypotheticals, though? They didn't score, and didn't look like they would, either.

As the final whistle blew, the Leeds fans in the away end were in full voice, and you could see what it meant to the players on the pitch. They celebrated in a manner fitting for such a huge, and thoroughly deserved win.

Impressive Leeds

In terms of man-of-the-match, that accolade should probably go to Anton Stach. You can't really argue with a goal and an assist, especially when it's a goal of that quality as well. I thought Ampadu had a brilliant game at the base of midfield; his ability to tidy up, and keep things ticking over is so valuable. He also dropped into defence in the second-half when he needed to.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin deserves his praise too. He showed exactly why Leeds signed him, and if he can stay fit, he'll be instrumental to the team's successes this season. Karl Darlow once again proved how reliable a number 2 he is. In fact, after his recent performances, it'll be harsh on him if he's dropped upon Perri's return.

Okafor Divides Opinion

Noah Okafor's performance did seem to divide some of the fan base, however. I noticed on social media (not always a great forum for sane opinions, I know), some fans lamenting him for losing the ball on occasion. I feel they are missing the point, though. Okafor was brought in to be a difference-maker, and difference-makers have to take risks - it's an inherent part of the role. Okafor is certainly talented, but he's raw. Not everything he tries is going to come off, but i'd rather he have the confidence to take players on and make things happen, than play it safe.

Leeds don't have a Pablo Hernandez-type player in the squad; someone who could unlock defences with a single pass. The midfield is physical and competitive, but lacks creativity. Therefore, Leeds' attacking thrust has to come from out wide. If Okafor loses the ball from time to time, so be it. We need to embrace his raw talent and recognise that his abilities are unique to this team, not stifle them. Even if it is frustrating sometimes.

Next Up: Bournemouth (h)

Next up for Leeds is Bournemouth at Elland Road. This will be an undoubtedly sterner test for Leeds. Bournemouth may well be a League One-sized club masquerading as a Premier League team, but they are well run and well managed. The arrogant Leeds fan in me scoffs at Bournemouth as a team we should be beating, but the more rational side of me knows this will be a tough game. Either way, the players will be full of confidence, and the fans will make it as hostile as possible.