Leeds United vs Chelsea. Premier League.
Elland Road.
Report and free highlights as Diego Llorente inadvertently hits his own bar and Tyler Roberts also denied by woodwork as Chelsea miss chance to leapfrog Leicester into third; Leeds play out first draw since stalemate with Arsenal on November 22
Saturday 13 March 2021 16:37, UK
Both sides hit the bar as Chelsea's unbeaten run continued, but their push for a top-four finish took a minor hit in a 0-0 draw at Leeds.
Chelsea nearly took an early lead in unusual style as Luke Ayling's clearance fired straight into Diego Llorente and back onto his own crossbar, shortly after Leeds had been denied an eighth-minute opener when Patrick Bamford was ruled just offside in teeing up Tyler Roberts to score.
The hosts struck the woodwork themselves when Roberts' wonderful effort crashed off the goalframe thanks to a fingertip touch by Edouard Mendy.
The goalkeeper was again in fine form to readjust and keep out Raphinha's close-range shot 10 minutes after half-time, while Kai Havertz and Antonio Rudiger tested Illan Meslier at the other end of the pitch.
But some wasteful Chelsea finishing, failing to beat the Frenchman despite registering seven shots on target, leaves them three points ahead of fifth-placed West Ham - who have played two games fewer than their London rivals.
Goals looked likely to be on the menu at Elland Road given Leeds' expansive style, and the opening quarter of an hour did little to dampen expectations, with an early Leeds goal, made by Bamford's smart run and square for Roberts, ruled out by a marginal offside in the build-up.
Chelsea controlled the early possession but Meslier was more troubled by his own defenders than the opposition. Ayling's powerful clearance left Meslier with his heart in his mouth as it cannoned off Llorente and over him, before rebounding to safety off the woodwork.
Roberts' own denial by the Chelsea goalframe minutes later proved somewhat more impressive to loop the ball towards the top corner from 20 yards, and inches away from breaking the deadlock.
Rudiger should have done better to anticipate a Chelsea corner reaching him unmarked in the home penalty area after the frantic start had long died down, but deflected one of few clear-cut openings straight at Meslier.
Moments after the break, Havertz was guilty of squandering another when he made life similarly straightforward for the goalkeeper when unmarked, before Mendy's acrobatics denied Raphinha on the turn from a Rodrigo knock-down.
The Spanish forward, given a rare chance to impress in attack after an early injury to Bamford, then wasted a free header from a corner, and would later face the embarrassment of being substituted less than an hour after coming on.
Callum Hudson-Odoi worked space to shoot from 20 yards after his own arrival late on, but his shot, down Meslier's throat, summed up Chelsea's afternoon, as they extended their unbeaten start under Thomas Tuchel but missed out on the chance to move third in the table.
Leeds manager Marcelo Bielsa told BT Sport: "We value the point a lot, if there had to be a winner it wouldn't have been us. In the first half they established a difference in comparison to us.
"In the second half we were slightly better. The superiority they showed in the first half was greater than the superiority we showed in the second half. If we don't play at the rhythm we play at, the differences between us would be a lot bigger."
Chelsea head coach Thomas Tuchel told BT Sport: "The pitch was super-hard to play. We had a couple of chances to go 1-0 up, and in the end they troubled us, and the more minutes you need to score, the more belief they have.
"There were enough chances, but sometimes it's like this. I don't want to be too harsh. As long as we have chances and touches in the box and don't concede too many chances the results will be there. We need to accept this."
Aside from making as many tackles (3) as anyone else on the pitch, Kante won possession back 11 times.
Not only that, he was also a driving force behind getting Chelsea on the front foot, starting attacks and showing again why he is more than a midfield water carrier.
Chelsea host Atletico Madrid at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday, taking a 1-0 lead into the second leg of their Champions League last-16 second leg; Kick-off at 8pm.
Leeds' trip to Fulham is live on Sky Sports Premier League on Friday from 7pm; Kick-off at 8pm.
