Leeds United won their first home game of the season on Saturday, as they dominated Watford enroute to a 3-0 win. For the first hour or so, it looked like a repeat of the other Leeds games at home this season. They were controlling the game but were unable to make their momentum count, however once Leeds got the first goal, the floodgates opened in what ended up being another wonderful performance from Daniel Farke’s side.
Leeds came out of the traps fast, and were quickly able to test Daniel Bachmann in the Watford goal. Joel Piroe found Ethan Ampadu in space just inside the box and Amapdu’s strike forced a terrific save out of Bachmann as he got down well to his left.
Leeds really should have taken the lead when Georginio Rutter had a big chance from close range. Dan James cut inside from the right wing before delivering a dangerous ball into the box which Rutter latched on to. However, Rutter’s shot was a tame one and was saved by Bachmann.
The second half began with Leeds still being the side in the ascendancy, but were unable to fashion any clear cut chances in the early stages of the second half.
However, Joel Piroe did not make any mistakes as he dispatched of the first real chance the Whites fashioned in the second half with just over twenty minutes to go.
Rutter picked the ball in his own half and was able to ride one challenge well before dancing past another defender before playing the ball out wide to Dan James. James was then able to put in another good ball to pick out Piroe at the far post as he volleyed in from close range to give Leeds a well deserved lead.
Leeds doubled their lead from a corner just a few minutes later when Sam Byram scored his first goal for the club since re-joining in the summer. He was able to find space inside the box and powered his header past Bachmann after another pinpoint cross in from James.
After Leeds scored their second goal, Watford had a rare spell of momentum and had a good chance to pull a goal back. Substitute Yaser Asprilla found space down the right wing before delivering a good low cross in to another substitute in Vakoun Issouf Bayo, however he dragged his effort wide.
Jaidon Anthony came off the bench and scored his first goal for the club to put the result beyond all doubt. Rutter was again instrumental in the build up as he picked up the ball deep in his own half and was able to glide past two Watford defenders before sending Anthony through on goal. Anthony made no mistake with his finish as he opened his body up and nestled his shot in the bottom right corner.
Illan Meslier was forced to earn his fourth clean sheet in a row late on when he tipped Giorgi Chakvetadze’s attempt over the bar in what was Watford’s only shot on target all afternoon.
Leeds manager Daniel Farke was pleased that his side were able to make their dominance count in the game against Watford.
“We were brilliant, our performance was brilliant, we created so many chances, dominated possession, dominated the game. We were all over them, good pressing, good in the counter pressing, didn’t allow them to have one chance hardly and also to convert this dominance into a result and that’s what we did in the second half” Farke said.
After a hectic six days, Leeds have time to rest before they travel down to play Southampton next Saturday.
Leeds United: Meslier, Shackleton. Struijk, Cooper (c), Byram, Ampadu, Kamara, James, Piroe, Summerville, Rutter
Subs: Anthony, Gray, Poveda, Ayling, Gruev, Darlow, Cresswell, Gelhardt, Joseph
Watford: Bachmann (c), Andrews, Porteous, Hoedt, Lewis, Louza, Sierralta, Kone, Ince, Rajovic, Martins
Subs: Kayembe, Dele-Bashiru, Bayo, Asprilla, Chakvetadze, Roberts, Pollock, Morris, Ngakia