Chris Basham scored the winner as Sheffield United beat Championship promotion rivals Leeds United 1-0 at Elland Road.
Former Leeds United defender Ben Parker believes Pablo Hernandez was the best player on the pitch despite Saturday’s 1-0 home defeat to Sheffield United, speaking to the LS11 podcast.
Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds welcomed Yorkshire rivals Sheffield United to Elland Road at the weekend with both clubs seemingly fighting for that single automatic promotion place behind the unstoppable Championship leaders Norwich City.
But the Whites dropped out of the top two in heartbreaking fashion, with Chris Basham scoring the only goal of the game against the run of play late in the second half.
Sheffield United defended brilliantly in West Yorkshire, the likes of John Egan, Martin Cranie and Enda Stevens putting their body on the line to preserve a potentially season-defining win.
Parker, however, believes the Man of the Match was wearing the white of Leeds instead.
“Pablo Hernandez, in the first half especially, was head and shoulders above every player on the pitch,” said the current Harrogate Town defender.
“He just finds space. We always say good players seem to have time and he seemed to have so much time on the ball. He was picking passes, little dinks over the top, through balls.”
33-year-old Hernandez was certainly impressive in the opening 45, controlling the game from the centre of the park and picking out a series of typically pinpoint passes that left The Blades’ back line scrambling.
But his influence waned after the interval as Leeds slipped to what could be a damaging defeat.
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