adminLeeds United saw their unbeaten beginning to the season come to an end as they threw away a 2-0 advantage to suffer a 6-3 defeat against Chelsea in a nine-goal Carabao Cup thriller on Tuesday night.
Leeds would have been targeting a place in the next round of the competition when they travelled to Stamford Bridge, but Daniel Farke opted to make eight alterations to the side that drew 1-1 with Brighton and Hove Albion at the weekend.
Only Ethan Ampadu, James Justin and Tarik Muharemovic retained their places following the match at the Amex, while goalkeeper Michael Zetterer and full-back Melvin Bard were handed their full debuts.
It was an opportunity for both players to put forward their case for a place in Farke’s Premier League starting XI, although being involved in a defence that shipped six goals was hardly the perfect situation for either player ahead of Monday’s league clash with Newcastle United.
Zetterer arrived at the Yorkshire club from Eintracht Frankfurt in a deal worth €5m, with the German brought in to challenge James Trafford for the number one position at Elland Road.
Leeds appeared to be in an excellent position to replicate their run to the FA Cup semi-finals last season after establishing a 2-0 lead in the capital, but Chelsea turned the contest around with four goals in just 12 second-half minutes.
Speaking after the match, Farke was visibly frustrated by the decision to award the penalty in the 53rd minute, which eventually proved to be a turning point in the game.
“A bit of a crazy game. Sometimes it happens when there is loads of changes.
“We played with confidence. There was not even a chance for them. Then the referee decided to give a penalty. Nobody was asking for it.
“All of a sudden, their players came into the game. The momentum was on their side. Situations can change the whole momentum of the game.”
Zetterer Fails to Take His Chance
If Zetterer was hoping to convince Farke that he is on a similar level to Trafford during his appearance at Stamford Bridge, he ultimately fell short of that objective.
According to FotMob, the 31-year-old was the lowest-rated player on the pitch with an overall score of 4.0, while Daniel James was the next-lowest performer with a 5.3 rating.
The experienced goalkeeper may feel he should have done better for Cole Palmer’s second goal of the evening, as well as Danny Welbeck’s effort, and he will know that a stronger display will be required when his next opportunity arrives.
Rather than presenting Farke with a difficult selection decision, Zetterer has made the manager’s choice straightforward following such an encouraging beginning to life in a Leeds shirt for the £45m Trafford.
Zetterer was always expected to serve as the second-choice goalkeeper at Elland Road, particularly given the significant amount Leeds invested in the England international. However, every number two is expected to put genuine pressure on the first-choice goalkeeper.
With Leeds eliminated from the Carabao Cup, the German may not feature again until the FA Cup third round in January, unless Trafford is sidelined by an injury during the Premier League campaign.
It was an opportunity missed for the 31-year-old, who will be hoping to deliver a much-improved performance the next time he is called upon.
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