Leeds United head coach Marcelo Bielsa has suggested to Leeds Live that Aston Villa attacking midfielder Jack Grealish could not make an impact in the second half.
Bielsa is pleased with his players for neutralising the threat posed by the England international attacking midfielder after the break.
Patrick Bamford scored a hat-trick in the second half, as Leeds got the better of Villa 3-0 away from home at Villa Park in the Premier League on Friday evening.
Bielsa told Leeds Live about Grealish not playing well in the second half: “That was what we hoped for from the start. Perhaps in the second half it was harder for him as when he received the ball he had less time to transport the ball than he did in the first half where he received the ball with more space. Nevertheless he is not an easy player to neutralise.”
How did Jack Grealish play against Leeds United?
Grealish has been superb form for Villa so far this season, and Villa were looking to him to create problems for Leeds.
The England international did play well in the first half and showed some great touches.
The 25-year-old did get the better of Stuart Dallas on a few occasions and went close to scoring as well.
However, once Bamford had scored his first goal, Grealish, like the rest of the Villa players, failed to do much of note.
According to WhoScored, the 25-year-old took two shots and both were on target, played one key pass, had a pass accuracy of 75%, won one header, took 52 touches, attempted four dribbles, and put in five crosses.
So far this season, Grealish has scored three goals and provided three assists in five Premier League matches for Villa, according to WhoScored.
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