admin“My Goodness”- Pundit baffled by what 5Pascal Struijk did in wild Leeds moment V Man City
Pascal Struijk endured a difficult afternoon as Leeds United suffered a 3–2 defeat away to Manchester City.
Despite the loss, Daniel Farke’s side showed real spirit after the break, mounting an impressive fightback against Pep Guardiola’s men.
City struck early, with Phil Foden opening the scoring after just one minute following poor defending from Wilfried Gnonto. Josko Gvardiol then doubled the lead to leave Leeds with a mountain to climb.
The second half told a different story. Dominic Calvert-Lewin pulled one back before Lukas Nmecha netted against his former club, bringing Leeds level.
Although Foden ultimately scored late to seal the win, key players — Struijk included — threw themselves into challenges throughout the contest at the Etihad.
Struijk narrowly avoids costly own goal
Struijk has struggled to impress in recent weeks, notably underperforming against Aston Villa and raising questions about his place in the starting XI.
Nevertheless, Farke backed the 26-year-old once again, naming him in the lineup and keeping him on for the full 110 minutes.
But the centre-back had several shaky moments, the most alarming coming from a Jeremy Doku cross that Lucas Perri failed to deal with. Struijk swung at the loose ball and nearly knocked it into his own net, missing clean contact as it rebounded off his knee and spun narrowly wide.
Former defender Damien Delaney was stunned live on Premier Sports 1, saying:
“How Struijk gets away with this one, I’m not sure.
Doku fires it across, the goalkeeper tips it up, Struijk takes a wild swing, it hits his knee and somehow rolls past the far post. His heart must have been in his mouth.”
Farke faces a decision at centre-back
The defeat will be especially frustrating for Leeds, who earned enough chances to take at least a point. While City showed flashes of brilliance, lapses in concentration from Leeds — particularly Struijk’s — played a major role in the loss.
It raises concerns over Farke’s continued faith in the Dutchman, especially with alternatives available. Jaka Bijol came on in the second half and looked composed, making a strong case to replace Struijk in the starting XI ahead of the upcoming home fixture against Chelsea.
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