MX23RW : Friday, April 26 04:55:12| >> :600:143826:143826:
[monks data]
Swansea logo
Championship | Gameweek 43
Jul 12, 2020 at 1.30pm UK
Liberty Stadium
Leeds logo

Swansea
0 - 1
Leeds


Brewster (29'), Fulton (33')
FT(HT: 0-0)
Hernandez (89')
Klich (31'), Harrison (75'), Hernandez (90')

Marcelo Bielsa pleased with "step forward" against Swansea

Marcelo Bielsa pleased with
© Reuters
Four points from three games would see the Yorkshire club return to the Premier League after a 16-year absence.

Marcelo Bielsa felt Leeds had taken a "step forward" to winning promotion after Pablo Hernandez's late winner secured a 1-0 victory at Swansea.

On a day when Leeds paid tribute to club great Jack Charlton, who died at the age of 85 on Friday, Bielsa's side moved to within four points of ending their 16-year wait to play in the top flight of English football.

Sky Bet Championship leaders Leeds are now three points ahead of second-placed West Brom, and six clear of in-form Brentford, with games against Barnsley, Derby and Charlton to come.

Pablo Hernandez left it late at Swansea
Pablo Hernandez left it late at Swansea (Nick Potts/PA)

"I can not enjoy this," Bielsa said. "What you feel just is that you are taking a step forward. The only thing I can enjoy is the last objective, if we get it.

"The match was very close, very narrow, few chances. When the match progressed our possibilities were growing and in the last 30 minutes I think we deserved to score and to make the difference."

In a game of few chances prior to substitute Hernandez's late strike, Leeds had the best opportunity after 64 minutes.

Patrick Bamford failed to head home from six yards, allowing Swansea goalkeeper Freddie Woodman to palm away his effort.

Leeds managing director Angus Kinnear celebrated wildly in the stand
Leeds managing director Angus Kinnear celebrated wildly in the stand (Nick Potts/PA)

But Hernandez, who played for Swansea for two years between 2012 and 2014, proved the hero by rolling home Luke Ayling's cross off a post.

"What we feel is taking the steps we have to take," Bielsa said.

"But of course when you score at the end of the match it's a higher feeling. The bigger emotion we didn't get that yet."

Charlton, a World Cup winner with England in 1966, was part of the great Don Revie Leeds sides of the 1960s and early 1970s.

Leeds was the only club Charlton played for and he made 773 appearances for them between 1953 and 1973.

Tributes were paid to Charlton before kick-off with both sets of players and staff applauding the former defender's contribution to football after a minute's silence had been held.

"The legends of the club deserve a big attention from us," Bielsa said.

"But I don't want to take the risk to talk about the victory and the loss of a person. I don't want to link those two things."

View this post on Instagram

🤍 RIP Big Jack!

A post shared by Leeds United (@leedsunited) on

Swansea manager Steve Cooper insisted defeat was harsh on his side.

"I thought we were comfortable in the game and I'm really disappointed to lose like that," Cooper said.

"I think both teams were cautious in terms of attacking and defending and I would have just liked to have had a bit more of the ball in the second half.

"It was just so disappointing to see that ball trickle in the way it did after the boys had put so much into the game."

Swansea and Leeds observed a minute's silence in honour of Jack Charlton
Swansea and Leeds observed a minute's silence in honour of Jack Charlton (Nick Potts/PA)

Swansea remain just outside the play-off places, a point behind Welsh rivals Cardiff in seventh place.

"We would have liked to have picked up a point, but it wasn't as if anything was going to be decided today," Cooper said.

"It's probably going to go to the last game as most things are in the league.

"The dressing room is down of course and it's still raw, but the fire in the belly is still there to achieve and we'll be going to the end."

ID:406248: cacheID:406248:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:16248:No Data Analysis info
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Leeds United players celebrate during their victory over Stoke on July 9, 2020
Read Next:
Sunday's Championship predictions including Swansea City vs. Leeds United
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
10am
Bublik
Carballes Baena
10am
Marozsan
Cerundolo
10am
Musetti
Seyboth Wild
10am
Paul
Klein
10am
Rublev
Bagnis
10am
Andreeva
Noskova
10am
Bronzetti
Rybakina
10am
Garcia
Wang
10am
Pavlyuchenkova
Saville
11.30am
Altmaier
Fils
11.30am
Martin Etcheverry
Shapovalov
11.30am
Alexandrova
Krueger
11.30am
Bucsa
Kasatkina
11.30am
Dolehide
Kalinina
11.30am
Jimenez Kasintseva
Paolini
11.30am
Linette
Sabalenka
1pm
Baez
Van Assche
1pm
Hurkacz
Draper
1pm
Bejlek
Kalinskaya
1pm
Cristian
Krejcikova
1pm
Kostyuk
Sherif
2pm
Zheng
Putintseva
2.30pm
Humbert
Van De Zandschulp
2.30pm
Darderi
Fritz
2.30pm
Boulter
Montgomery
3pm
Shevchenko
Alcaraz
3.30pm
Vondrousova
Rogers
4pm
Griekspoor
Daniel
4pm
Munar
Struff
5pm
Navone
Rune
7pm
Coric
Zverev
8.30pm
Collins
Danilovic
11.30am
Shang
Davidovich Fokina
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Leicester CityLeicester443041086394794
2Leeds UnitedLeeds44279880374390
3Ipswich TownIpswich432611685533289
4Southampton442591085612484
5West Bromwich AlbionWest Brom4420121267442372
6Norwich CityNorwich442191477611672
7Hull City441912136556969
8Coventry CityCoventry4317121468551363
9Middlesbrough44189176460463
10Preston North EndPreston44189175661-563
11Cardiff CityCardiff44195205061-1162
12Bristol City441611175147459
13Sunderland44168205251156
14Swansea CitySwansea441511185762-556
15Watford441217155958153
16Millwall441411194355-1253
17Stoke CityStoke441311204460-1650
18Queens Park RangersQPR441311204157-1650
19Blackburn RoversBlackburn441310215874-1649
20Plymouth ArgylePlymouth441212205869-1148
21Sheffield WednesdaySheff Weds44138233968-2947
22Birmingham CityBirmingham441210224864-1646
23Huddersfield TownHuddersfield44917184774-2744
RRotherham UnitedRotherham44412283285-5324


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!