It’s been 113 days, but Leeds has won a Premier League game.
With Tyler Adams, Weston McKennie, and Brenden Aaronson all starting, Leeds — in new manager Javi Gracia’s first game in charge — notched a potentially vital 1-0 victory over Southampton on Saturday.
That ends a 10-game winless run in which Leeds had seen their offense absolutely dry up. Leeds fell 4-3 at Tottenham going into the World Cup break, but since then it’s been a real slog. Leeds has been shut out five times since the league resumed, and has scored just six total goals in nine league matches.
But for today at least, all is well as Junior Firpo’s 77th minute strike was decisive in a crunch relegation battle.
When Saturday’s matches kicked off, these were the two bottom teams in the Premier League, but Leeds’ win has lifted them — barring a Bournemouth win over Manchester City later on Saturday — out of the drop zone and into the fragile safety of 17th place.
On the day, Leeds had the better of Southampton, controlling most of the possession, dictating the terms and tempo, and carving out 14 shots to Southampton’s eight. However, Leeds has repeatedly found a way to let that kind of game slip away from them, and in fact that pattern more than any other is what cost Jesse Marsch his job.
So for Leeds fans, watching their side avoid an all-too-common defensive calamity and pairing that with an all-too-rare goal has to be a relief.
On the other hand, there is also an element of good luck to the winner, and given the way the season has gone, it might be karma balancing out for Leeds. An attacking move out on the left wing should have seen Crysencio Summerville — boxed into the corner by three Southampton defenders — lose possession.
Instead, the Dutch attacker’s hopeful pass — or possibly just an attempt to carve out a corner? — clipped a defender before bobbling along the endline to Jack Harrison, who used his first touch to fool Southampton with a backheel to Firpo.
Firpo, under a challenge from Ibrahima Diallo on his left and with James Ward-Prowse closing on his right, shot while falling, and as is often the case in that scenario, he didn’t hit it well.
However, the ball hopped and skipped along the Elland Road grass, while Jan Bednarek seemed to freeze in the expectation of being hit by a more powerful strike. Firpo’s effort shuffled along past him, and had just enough on it to sneak past Gavin Bazunu, who didn’t see where the ball actually was until it was already rolling by him.
Watch Firpo’s goal end Leeds winless run
Junior Firpo gets a PIVOTAL goal for Leeds United and they lead Southampton!
As things stand, Leeds are out of the relegation zone.
📺: @USANetwork #MyPLMorning | #LEESOU pic.twitter.com/UG62fviSgw— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) February 25, 2023
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