Leeds United waited until additional minutes to survive relegation on the last day of the 2021-2022 Premier League campaign to the detriment of Burnley.
Coach Jesse Marsch led Leeds United to Brentford Community Stadium to play against a very resilient Brentford side in a make-or-mar encounter. Ahead of the tie, Leeds were expected to win the game and pray that Burnley lose to Newcastle United to guarantee a place in the Premier League next season.
Fortunately for Leeds United, they beat Brentford 2-1 while Burnley lost to Newcastle United 2-1 which was enough to rescue Leeds and sink Burnley.
During the Leeds United and Brentford game, Raphinha scored the opener for Leeds in the 56th minute via a spot-kick. But the lead did not last for too long before Sergi Canos scored the equalizer.
Interestingly, two minutes after the 25-year-old Spanish winger scored the equalizer, he was sent off after receiving two yellow cards in less than three minutes – firstly, he was shown a yellow card for removing his shirt while celebrating the equalizer, secondly, he was shown a yellow card for committing a foul on Raphinha.
The fact that Brentford was down to ten men did not change much until in the additional 4th minute when Jack Harrison scored the winner to send Leeds United out of the relegation zone.
Hence, Leeds United survived the fall with 38 points in 38 games, after recording 9 wins, 11 draws, and 18 defeats. While Burnley were relegated alongside Norwich City and Watford with 35 points in 38 games, after recording 7 wins, 14 draws, and 17 defeats.
🤯 "Absolute pandemonium!" pic.twitter.com/19shRKXv1d
— Leeds United (@LUFC) May 22, 2022
After Leeds United survived the drop, the coach of the club, Jesse Marsch acknowledged the strong will and mentality of his players, adding that his players never stopped believing that they could survive the drop.
Marsch also revealed that the players were informed about the progress of the Burnley vs Newcastle United game but that did not distract them from doing the needful against Brentford.
“It was a hot day – not easy for either team,” the coach told Sky Sports after helping his team to avoid relegation.
“We got the lead, which was important and I thought the start was really good. When we were up to two men we still didn’t want to leave it up to fate, we tried to push the winner to secure our fate. This group has been able to dig deep in injury time and find goals and the character is clear and it’s a privilege to work with these guys.
“We talked about how to play in the heat, how to manage the game, how to stay focussed for every moment. It was weird that we gave up a goal when we went up a man.
“We tried to update the players on the Burnley score but the focus on us was most important. It’s hard to concentrate and be connected for 90 minutes on days like this but this is typical of our group – they never stop believing and it’s a credit to our mentality.
“It wasn’t easy to manage and I was trying to think of ways to help the group tactically and to be fair, we have had good performances, it’s just trying to put it all together that hasn’t always looked perfect. The stress has been high for three months, I’ve tried to stay calm and focus on us and you see the quality of the mentality and character.”
🙌 Yes gaffer! @jessemarsch pic.twitter.com/iwwi6kd1wR
— Leeds United (@LUFC) May 22, 2022
🎙 𝗝𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝘀𝗰𝗵: "The character of the group is clear, it's a privilege to work with these guys" pic.twitter.com/aLO2YRvGTN
— Leeds United (@LUFC) May 22, 2022
While Leeds United captain Liam Cooper said: “Unbelievable. At the start of the season we set out for a lot better than that but after all the adversity we’ve faced our backs have been against the wall.
“That is a success in itself today. I’m not one for celebrating things like that, but after what we’ve faced this season I will celebrate that. It was hectic and what a finish for the winner. We were aware of the Burnley score and every 10 mins I was asked by the bench what the score was.
“I need to apologize to my missus and kids over the last six weeks. It’s been stressful, I won’t lie. We come in every day and work hard and if you keep working hard then things come off.
“That’s for the fans, they’ve stuck with us all season, the atmosphere has been unbelievable and they don’t deserve us at times. I hope they all get home safely today because they got us through that today.”
🎙 𝗟𝗶𝗮𝗺 𝗖𝗼𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿: "We stuck together, we had that belief" pic.twitter.com/qytcM8uLjz
— Leeds United (@LUFC) May 22, 2022
