Leeds United lost to Huddersfield Town in a dramatic derby clash in the Championship.
Leeds United defender Kyle Bartley has hinted to BBC Radio Leeds that the Whites did not deserve a point from their Championship clash with Huddersfield Town, and disclosed what he told David Wagner following the ugly scenes at the end of the game.
Midfielder’s stats suggest teenager vindicated selection in Leeds’ derby day defeat
Garry Monk’s men’s automatic promotion hopes were dealt a blow as they were beaten 2-1 at the John Smith’s Stadium in a contest where they arguably struggled to cope with the home side for the majority of the clash.
Nevertheless, the game was settled in a cruel manner from a Leeds perspective as Michael Hefele scored the winner in the 89th minute. But Bartley stopped short of suggesting that the away side deserved to take a share of the points.
Michael Hefele scores the winning goal for Huddersfield Town
“If I’m honest, I don’t think we played very well,” he told BBC Radio Leeds when asked if Monk’s men deserved a point.
“I thought they were the better team but there’s been games where we’ve not played to our full potential where we’ve dug in and managed to get a result and I thought as the game wore on, that’s what we would manage to do but we never seemed to relieve the pressure.”
The winning goal was overshadowed by an incident that was sparked by a collision between Monk and Terriers boss Wagner, who was returning to his dugout after running past the Leeds technical area to celebrate with his team.
The subsequent brawl – that involved most of the players as well as much of both teams’ backroom staff – has been widely discussed following the game as fans debate who was in the wrong. But, perhaps unsurprisingly, Bartley has defended his manager by criticising Wagner’s actions and explained that he had words with the Huddersfield boss.
Leeds United Manager Garry Monk and Huddersfield Town Manager David Wagner clash before both being sent to the stands
“For me, their manager has lacked a bit of class and he’s caused the chaos that happened afterwards. I told him that he should have a bit more respect for our players, for your players and for football. Football’s a game of respect, and for me, he didn’t show that today,” he added.
The dramatic contest may well not be the last chapter on this rivalry that is written this season. With both sides currently in the top six, there is every possibility that Huddersfield – who have won both meetings this term – and Leeds could meet once the regular campaign comes to an end.
The best January signing from a Championship club – HITC poll results
And should that prove to be the case, the Whites can reflect on Sunday’s game and know that they have all the motivation they need to get their revenge.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
