Marcelo Bielsa has admitted that Michail Antonio was ‘very difficult’ to handle for Leeds United during their 2-1 defeat to West Ham on Saturday, as he told Football London.
The Premier League’s top-scorer broke Leeds hearts when he scored a late, late winner for West Ham at Elland Road.
This was Antonio’s first game back from suspension and he made sure his goalscoring form was still with him when he returned to action.
Leeds youngster Charlie Cresswell was the one tasked to try and stop the hard-hitting striker, but in the end, Antonio’s bit of magic towards the end was just too hot to handle for the Yorkshire side.
Bielsa was pretty honest about Antonio after the game.
“We were against a striker who is very difficult to neutrialise,” said Bielsa.
It was actually a very well-worked and high-quality winning goal from the Hammers.
Declan Rice channelled his inner-Jarrod Bowen by charging down the right, playing a pin-point pass into Antonio’s path in the middle of the pitch.
His first touch was just too good for Jamie Shackleton, who committed himself early, as the £7 million West Ham forward (Sky Sports) knocked it past the Leeds player and then kept his composure to score his fifth of the campaign.
This is a purple patch in Antonio’s career and one that David Moyes deserves huge credit for because he has transformed the player.
From that quick-footed winger that had a box of tricks, he has now become a deadly and technically sound forward that is sitting top of the goalscoring charts after six matches.
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