They say the best way to deal with a bully is by force. Suddenly, when the Leeds poet was dug to toe by the Tottenham devil, he was left with the kind of wedgie that may need surgery.
There are a lot of nice things to say about the way Marcelo Bielsa ‘s side play their games, and fewer suggestions for Jose Mourinho’ s style, but this was a score and a performance to stop some of the hype.
It went to Mourinho’s part due to football variations, as Leeds had strong chances to advance, but it was largely by design.
Jose Mourinho (left) came out on top against Marcelo Bielsa (right) in their wits battle
Designing one manager who continues with a high-wire approach, attacking top teams, and designing another who loves nothing more than sitting back and destroying opposing creations. Bielsa went on to grass, and as Mourinho liked it. Of course he did.
Ahead of the game, it was modeled on something like the spiritual side of Bielsa, a pragmatic anti-football minister against the great innovator whose legacy will not be measured in prizes. You can only imagine the satisfaction Mourinho felt when he boarded the raft of his skull to go home.
That is not to say that it was a fair fight between ideologies, or that there is such a thing in an unequal league. How can it be when Tottenham have been an attacking duo for centuries? We’re constantly redefining how we evaluate Harry Kane, and just as well the brightness of Son Heung-min by his side.
Kane reached 10 league goals for the season with a penalty that was less interesting, and less impressive, than the support he gave to Son strike that put Spurs up two.
Star striker and talisman Harry Kane (right) scored a goal and helped Son Heung-Min again
Mourinho has won 18 of his 20 games v Bielsa
Kane and Son have come together for 13 goals
With two touches, Kane defeated Pascal Struijk and from there it was a combination of a second of consciousness and execution to bend a pass behind Luke Ayling and Ezgjan Alioski, flowing into the path of Mic . Pleasant.
That help was Kane’s 11th in the league this season and together, he and his Son have put 13 goals down each other this term – the equivalent of a record set by Alan Shearer and Chris Sutton 26 years ago.
For good measure, Son got his fifth assist by crossing for Toby Alderweireld for 3-0. The question is, where does it lead? What do these beautiful numbers add to it? Make it whiskey, but Mourinho is increasingly closer to doing what he was hired to do.
Even with the Covid offenses committed by a chunk of his squad, Mourinho can reflect on a weekend in which Spurs ended a four-game unbeaten climb in the Premier League, moved inside four points in Liverpool.
Portugal boss Mourinho has won 18 of his 20 matches against Leeds manager Bielsa
They also gained distance on the runway to tomorrow’s Carabao Cup semi-final against Brentford. Even the hard-hearted people who regretted sacking Mauricio Pochettino were probably coming around.
‘We’re all focused on it as players win,’ said Harry Winks. The style of play is for others to talk about. If you win, everyone will be happy. If you play well and you lose, not everyone is happy.
‘The most important thing is to win and if that means the end of the season we are up there, that is what matters to us. We now have a different manager, with a different philosophy and style. Nothing has changed much but our mindset is to want to win. ‘
The situation at Leeds is interesting. Bielsa has thrown a handful of happy dust over the Premier League, but you have to question whether he has another idea hidden inside his blue bucket for the games against better sides.
To what extent does a 12-3 collection from games with Tottenham, Manchester United and Chelsea last month push a less aggressive approach?
Chances are, there will be no change soon. Bielsa was right to point out how Leeds created enough – 18 hits, no less. But with so much body pressure going on and playing out from behind, the impact of individual mistakes is greatly amplified.
There was just too much by his side in this game, especially with their keeper Illan Meslier, who got their errant pass before the penalty. Bielsa got a little tetchy on the subject, so you’d suspect Leeds would be keeping their course right now.