“Leeds won because of him, he was a complete disaster to our defensive midfield, else we could have truly win”- Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder names Leeds United ‘Premier League player’ behind comeback win
Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder gave an honest evaluation following his team’s defeat to Leeds United, recognizing the decisive impact of their opponents’ Premier League-level talent.
The Blades took an early lead in the 14th minute after an own goal by Illan Meslier and controlled much of the first half.
However, Leeds responded with a Junior Firpo equalizer midway through the second half before late strikes from Ao Tanaka and Joel Piroe secured victory for the visitors.
Wilder was frustrated by how his team conceded. “It was a close contest,” he said. “Credit to Dan and Leeds—they’re a top side.
We needed to deliver a top performance but fell slightly short. We started well, made things difficult for them, and deserved our lead. But towards the end of the first half, we lost control.
They’re top for a reason, with quality players, and we knew at halftime we might have to withstand some pressure. In the second half, they pushed forward, and we struggled to hold them back.”
He was particularly disappointed with the nature of the goals conceded. “The equalizer was frustrating—we could have done better to stop the cross or defend Firpo’s header.
Seeing a left-back positioned centrally to score like that shows their ability to find crucial moments. Conceding the second from a set-piece was especially disappointing.”
Despite the loss, Wilder acknowledged the quality of Leeds’ squad. “I won’t be too hard on the players,” he said. “For the neutral, it was an entertaining game, but from our perspective, we executed our game plan well.
Leeds’ top-tier talent showed in key moments—Dan James played the decisive pass, Firpo finished it off.
Struijk, James, and Firpo are all Premier League-level players, and they stepped up when it mattered.”
Wilder also highlighted the challenge of facing a squad filled with players aiming to return to the top flight. “When you’ve got a left-back scoring in the middle of the box like a center-forward, that speaks to the quality we were up against. We just needed to be sharper in those moments.”
Looking ahead, Wilder stressed that there is still a lot to play for. “There’s a long way to go. As Dan said, 12 or 13 games remain, and anything can happen. Leeds have put themselves in a strong position, and credit to them for that.”
He finished with a message of resilience. “We have to take this result on the chin and move forward. There are plenty of points still up for grabs, and our focus now is on bouncing back.”
