Marcelo Bielsa instructs his Leeds players to let Aston Villa score; Sheffield United promoted to Premier League after draw
Monday 29 April 2019 10:38, UK
There were extraordinary scenes at Elland Road as Leeds scored a controversial goal against Aston Villa before letting the visitors equalise.
When Jonathan Kodjia went down injured for Villa, the away team stopped in their tracks as Tyler Roberts slowed down as if to kick the ball out - only to run through and set up Mateusz Klich to curl the ball beyond Jed Steer.
After the subsequent melee, Leeds boss Marcelo Bielsa ordered his team to allow Villa to score an equaliser from the resulting kick-off but Pontus Jansson did not agree.
The Swedish defender was the only player to attempt to prevent Albert Adomah from putting the ball into the empty net and that sparked a row with his own teammates.
Marcelo Bielsa told Sky Sports: "We just gave the goal back. The facts are what everyone saw, and we express our interpretation of the facts by doing what we did.
"English football is known for sportsmanship, so I don't have to comment on this kind of thing. I think today's performance against the best team in the Championship at this moment puts us close to what our possibilities are."
Dean Smith told Sky Sports: "First of all, the referees missed a foul on Jonathan Kodjia in the centre circle and what happens then, Tyler Roberts should probably put the ball out. Everybody stops, he doesn't. We'd just done it for their lad when we were attacking in the corner.
"Klich has just apologised to me after the game. He said he shouldn't have done that, it's wrong. Every credit to Leeds United and Marcelo Bielsa for giving us the opportunity to put that right.
"I said they should let us walk a goal in then. They had a talk about it and said okay. Fair play to them, I'm full of respect for them for that. It was a good game of football up until that moment and probably would have ended up 0-0.
"Without a shadow of a doubt [El Ghazi's red card was not a sending off]. I've seen it back, you've all seen it back and everybody else has. I'll be absolutely amazed if that's not rescinded so we will certainly appeal that and I have no doubts that Anwar should be okay for the last few games because he doesn't do anything."
