Leeds United 1-0 Brentford: Perfect Poise
This is, as I've written a lot over the last year or so, why they call him El Loco. Marcelo Bielsa reorganised Leeds with two central strikers and one winger, and if that imbalance was confusing from the stands, it was worse for Brentford, trying to adjust their back three to suit.
Pre-match publicity hyped the impact of the hostile Elland Road atmosphere on Pontus Jansson, Leeds United's fallen and crestfallen hero.
But Elland Road is often as dismissive to the opposition as it is malevolent. The other team has come to be beaten, and the crowd has come to watch the Peacocks beat them, and if they don't, the initial hugs of affection for the home team can become more rib-crushing and painful than anything done to the visitors.
Patrick Bamford heard cheers when half the ground thought his deft header past Brentford's onrushing keeper had bounced into the net. It had gone wide, but I hope it did Bamford good to hear what celebrating a goal at Elland Road might be like. It's been a while.
The next cheers came when, deep into the second half, three quick successive attacks broke down with the ball at, near, or missing Bamford by a mile. Upon the third United's coaches leapt straight up and called for Eddie Nketiah; the crowd noticed, and as he tugged his shirt on ready for his home debut, the crowd chanted his name — his first name, anyway — proving that loan players can be favourites, even if it's only for one season, if they're exciting enough.
Bamford made one more forlorn chase for a through ball with his presumed replacement's name ringing in his ears. He was the exciting new striker this time last season, and shouldn't feel too bad about the chants he was hearing; Eddie has simpler syllables than Patrick.
But Bamford wasn't replaced. Pablo Hernandez gave way to Nketiah, while a simultaneous change brought Gaetano Berardi on at right-back and sent Stuart Dallas for treatment. Ahead of Berardi was Helder Costa, moved from the left-wing where earlier he'd replaced Jack Harrison, and the left-wing was taken over by Ezgjan Alioski, even though he stayed at left-back. The empty space in front of him seemed to be part of the plan.