Leeds United 2-0 Norwich City match report, player ratings

Goals from Manor Solomon and Dan James condemned the Canaries to their second loss in five days, bringing them firmly down to earth on an evening when they could have gone within three points of the play-off places.

Few gave Norwich a chance going into the game, but there weren't many who expected them to concede in the first minute. Leeds worked the ball into Brenden Aaronson under little challenge, and he had ample time to roll past Callum Doyle for James. The Welshman squared, and Solomon couldn't miss.

The visitors briefly lost their bearings as a result but were quickly able to show their counter-attacking threat, loanee Lewis Dobbin driving forward 50 yards and crossing. It was cleared as far as Kellen Fisher, whose low strike was blocked before it could trouble Illan Meslier.

The same route of offense earned ex-Canary Sam Byram a yellow card when Onel Hernandez spun beyond him, and the general feeling was that City were starting to form a positive performance. Their travelling fans picked up the noise, they dominated possession, but they were still lacking the clear-cut chances needed to make the most.

Hernandez had half of one when he exchanged passes with makeshift striker Oscar Schwartau and dragged wide with his weaker left foot, and shortly thereafter there was a reminder of why opportunities like that were key. Doyle's slip-up allowed Aaronson to find Joel Piroe, Shane Duffy's last-ditch defending needed to bail him out.

With that the momentum started to swing again, and the same man had another chance to double his side's lead. Thankfully for Norwich Duffy was equal to him again, his intervention taking the sting out of Piroe's shot and allowing Angus Gunn to catch.

Johannes Hoff Thorup's men responded well to that and again moved the ball well in the 28th minute. Schwartau's well-weighted pass into space for Jack Stacey was the star of the show, but when the full-back's cross ended up with Fisher he volleyed over.

Bogle had one more slim sight of goal before half-time, but the general yellow and green (or black and yellow) mood going into the break was an optimistic one. If they could just keep things tight until key man Josh Sargent was introduced, it seemed, they had a decent chance of pulling off an upset.

That chance would have been even greater had Ao Tanaka received the second yellow card that Thorup firmly believed he deserved, but referee Matthew Donohue kept them in his pocket on this occasion.

Emiliano Marcondes then almost halted City's burgeoning momentum when his slip allowed Piroe in again, the Dane left relieved when Duffy and Gunn again came to the rescue in the 54th minute.

That was the final significant action before Sargent's introduction, a move which heightened an atmosphere already fit to burst after Thorup's interaction with the famed home support. He made his presence felt quickly when he twice held off the home defence and found team-mates, although real openings were still few and far between.

As the away team looked for an equaliser, Leeds continued to probe for their second, and eventually they found it. It came via a Norwich error, Fisher heading straight to Solomon when the ball was drifting behind for a goal kick. The winger made the most, crossing for an unmarked James to volley home and make it 2-0.

Bogle almost took things from bad to worse when he lined a shot up from 20 yards, forcing Gunn to beat clear as the game threatened to get away from the underdogs.

In any case it felt like the battle had been won, and United were able to comfortably see out the final 20 minutes and return to the summit of the Championship table. It turned out to be another night of 'what if's and 'maybe's for City, as they attempt to navigate a season that still looks very transitional.

Next up they face Swansea at Carrow Road, hoping that home comforts will return them to form after three losses on the bounce.

LEEDS UNITED:

Substitutes:

26. Darlow (GK)

3. Firpo (on for Byram, 55)

17. Ramazani (on for Solomon, 74)

19. Joseph

23. Guilavogui (on for Rothwell, 89)

29. Gnonto (on for James, 74)

33. Schmidt

39. Wober

44. Gruev (on for Tanaka, 55)

Manager: Daniel Farke

Bookings: Tanaka (8), Byram (13), Rothwell (71), Piroe (85)

Goals: Solomon (1), James (65)

NORWICH CITY:

Substitutes:

12. Long (GK)

9. Sargent (on for Schwartau, 59)

17. Crnac (on for Hernandez, 59)

40. Hills (on for Dobbin, 90)

43. Djedje

44. Myles (on for Fisher, 72)

46. Aboh

47. Mahovo (on for Chrisene, 72)

50. Warner

Head Coach: Johannes Hoff Thorup

Bookings: Hernandez (4), Dobbin (81)

KEY MOMENTS

1 - GOAL LEEDS (Solomon): Aaronson plays a ball in behind Doyle that James runs onto and squares for Solomon to tap in.

18 - Norwich move the ball well in a move that ends with Hernandez's and Schwartau's one-two, but the latter drags well wide with his weaker left foot.

24 - Bogle's good pass finds Piroe on the edge of the box and his shot has the sting taken out of it by Duffy's deflection.

35 - Leeds work the ball out to James on the right and he drives over from just inside the box.

45+1 - Gunn pushes Bogle's volley wide at the near post.

Half-time: Leeds United 1-0 Norwich City

54 - Marcondes' slip allows Piroe in, but Duffy and Gunn combine to deny him.

65 - GOAL LEEDS (James): Fisher's header falls for Solomon to cross, and he picks out an unmarked James to double United's lead.

66 - Bogle takes aim from distance but Gunn beats away.

88 - Gunn gets down well to turn Ramazani's curler round the post.

90 - Piroe flicks Gruev's corner narrowly wide of the far post.

Full-time: Leeds United 2-0 Norwich City

PLAYER RATINGS

Gunn 6, Stacey 6, Duffy 8, Doyle 4, Chrisene 5, McLean 7, Fisher 5, Marcondes 5, Hernandez 6, Schwartau 6, Dobbin 6. Subs: Crnac 5, Sargent 6, Mahovo 6, Myles 5, Hills 5.

MATCH STATISTICS

Possession: 52pc-48pc

Shots: 13-3

On target: 7-0

Corners: 9-4

Fouls: 11-10

Added time: 2 mins/4 mins

Attendance: 35,157 (954 Norwich)

Referee: Matthew Donohue