This is certainly not a Leeds United side short of potential matchwinners. Yet, as the tide turned at Bramall Lane, it was a comeback sparked by a rather unlikely source.
It was not a weaving Manor Solomon wondergoal which brought Leeds United level in the Steel City, and cancelled out Illan Meslier’s calamitous early own goal. It was not one of Dan James’ trademark rasping finishes, or the in-form Joel Piroe.
Instead, as James skipped to the byline and chipped in a cross – a piece of old-school wingplay reminiscent of simpler times – it was none other than Daniel Farke’s lung-busting left-back motoring into the penalty area to thump a header past a previously imperious Michael Cooper in the Sheffield United goal.
Junior Firpo had only scored three goals in 111 appearances before Leeds secured a stunning top-of-the-table victory at their Yorkshire rivals.
Sheffield United legend highlights Junior Firpo role in Leeds win
A fourth would arrive in the most opportune of moments. Just like against Sunderland seven days prior, however, an equaliser form one of Farke’s back four proved to be the turning point.
Chris Basham, the modern-day Sheffield United legend who’s face at full-time said more than words ever could, was gracious enough in defeat to acknowledge the role Firpo played in a second comeback win in the space of one potentially title-deciding win.
“I think Sheffield United got pegged back a little bit. I thought Firpo grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck,” Basham, who played just shy of 400 games for The Blades over the course of a decade, said on Sky Sports.
Few players in recent memory have enjoyed a turnaround quite as dramatically as Junior Firpo at Elland Road. Far from a popular presence amongst large sections of the fanbase not so long ago, the £13 million signing from Barcelona has emerged as one of Farke’s most trusted lieutenants and one of Leeds’ most reliable game-changers in the final third.
Recently, Farke indicated that Junior Firpo’s future remains uncertain with his contract expiring this summer. More contributions like this, however, and the reward for the left-back will not just be a return to the Premier League stage but also a well-deserved new deal.
Stuart Dallas delighted as Leeds go clear at the top of the Championship
“I think Leeds were probably the team who looked like they were going to win it,” former Leeds stalwart Stuart Dallas beams. “Sheffield United just lost a little bit of energy, I thought.
“We know Leeds have quality. When Sheffield United had the ball, we talked about them sitting in and that’s what Leeds would have wanted.
“It’s a huge result for them, it keeps the momentum going. Keeps the confidence. It’s a huge, huge result for Leeds.”
Firpo’s equaliser proceeded Ao Tanaka’s glorious looping header form the tightest of angles with 89 minutes on the clock. Moments after the game kicked off again, Joel Piroe lashed in a stunner from the edge of the box.
“In the last 20, 25 minutes of the first-half, we were dominant,” Firpo said himself in his post-match interview. “We had our chances. Then, in the second-half, we started really strong. The goals came out of nothing and we are really, really happy
“There are a lot of games still to play [but] five points is a good distance. The way we are winning the games, late in the games, we are on top of every team. This team is really strong, has a lot of self-belief and we just keep going.”
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