97 passes, five tackles: Liam Cooper masterful in Leeds win

Add as preferred source on Google

Despite helping the side to two wins in their previous three games, Leeds United’s defence arguably had a point to prove heading into Monday’s clash with Crystal Palace.

The Whites had not kept a clean sheet in 2021. And two lapses in concentration cost Marcelo Bielsa’s side in their 2-1 defeat to Everton last time out.

However, Leeds are no longer waiting for that first clean sheet. The Whites beat Palace 2-0, with the likes of Patrick Bamford and Raphinha stealing the headlines.

It was a superb performance from Leeds going forward. But Liam Cooper’s display at the heart of the defence was also simply masterful – as the stats suggest.

The captain completed 97 successful passes during the game, according to Whoscored.com. Pascal Struijk was his closest rival with 84 passes.

Cooper only misplaced nine passes. And while many would have been simple balls to Struijk or Illan Meslier, Cooper has shown that he is not afraid to be more ambitious either.

He will often look out for Raphinha or whoever is out on the right.

But Cooper’s reading of the game was also simply outstanding. He won four aerial duels and five tackles. In both areas, no player could beat his tallies.

Palace boast a group of dangerous group of attacking players. Even with Wilfried Zaha, the visitors had the potential to cause Illan Meslier plenty of problems.

However, it is difficult to remember the Frenchman having to make anything more than a regulation save. And that was largely down to the likes of Cooper and Struijk who gave Palace’s attackers almost nothing.

Monday may be remembered as the night Raphinha really demonstrated his world-class potential. It will certainly be remembered for the goal that brought up Bamford’s century for his career.

But perhaps it should also be looked back upon as the evening in which Cooper silenced anyone who questioned whether he belongs at the highest level.