Leeds’ 9/10 sensation outshone Summerville to become play-off hero
da dobrowin： Leeds United might have been fearing a nervy night at Elland Road against Norwich City was in store, but the reality ended up being very different as the Whites turned on the style.
da fezbet： Daniel Farke's men tore Norwich to shreds from minute one in West Yorkshire, the Canaries taken aback by the ferocity of Leeds' attacking game and they just couldn't cope with the punches the hosts constantly landed on them.
4-0 would end up being the final scoreline in the favour of the home side, as Leeds' stadium turned into even more of a cauldron of noise at full-time with scarfs held aloft as their heroes on the pitch took in rapturous applause.
In such an electric team performance, individuals still managed to stand out for the now play-off finalists with Crysencio Summerville delivering yet again on the big stage for his slick side.
Crysencio Summerville's performance in numbers
The sensational Dutchman took his goalscoring account for the season to 21 wtih the final strike in the rout for Leeds, calmly stroking the ball home for 4-0 to really rub salt into Norwich's gaping wound.
The 22-year-old winger could have had more than just one goal next to his name in the demolition job, firing four shots at a shaky Angus Gunn in the contest but also showing his creative side with six key passes accumulated.
Summerville's numbers vs Norwich
Minutes played
90
Touches
53
Key passes
6
Shots on goal
4
Big chances created
2
Successful dribbles
2/3
Stats by Sofascore
At his best venturing forward with blistering pace and trickery against the hapless Canaries, as can be seen glancing at the table above, Farke will pray Summerville is similarly on his A-Game for the final to come at Wembley to seal an immediate passage back to the Premier League.
There was an unlikelier play-off hero away from the Dutchman, however, on the night in the form of Ilia Gruev who bagged his first-ever Whites goal in spectacular fashion to kickstart a fantastic win.
Ilia Gruev's performance in numbers
A steady presence in the Leeds first-team all season, without ever really looking dangerous going forward, Gruev decided his moment to shine in the spotlight as a goalscorer would come in this crunch second leg.
Catching Gunn out with a smartly taken free-kick within the opening ten minutes, which wrong-footed the Scotsman in the Norwich net, the ex-Werder Bremen man's sweet strike would set the tone for a game that was played on cruise control from then on in by the deadly hosts.
Only misplacing two of his 51 passes in the comprehensive drubbing also, the Bulgarian midfielder was very worthy of his 9/10 rating from Leeds Live journalist Beren Cross after the game who showered the Whites number 44 with wild praise by stating he was at his "destructive" and "protective" best in the one-sided affair.
Norwich's central midfielders struggled battling against Gruev in the middle of the park consequently, mainly Marcelino Nunez who stood out for the Norfolk-based side in the first leg funnily enough with 10 duels won, as David Wagner's men completely folded on the big occasion.
Gruev vs Nunez – head-to-head stats
Stat
Gruev
Nunez
Touches
62
59
Accurate passes
49/51 (96%)
44/48 (92%)
Key passes
1
0
Accurate long balls
4/4
1/4
Duels won
3/7
4/13
Possession lost
3x
7x
Stats by Sofascore
Farke and Co will be thankful that they took a punt on Gruev this summer from the Bundesliga now, with the 23-year-old worth every penny of his £5m fee after that standout showing.
The classy operator will want to be key again at Wembley, with the Leeds camp now aware that they need to win just one more pressurised contest to return back to the top flight at the first time of asking.
Norwich, however, showed what happens when nerves get the better of you in a huge match by dreadfully collapsing with Leeds sticking the dagger in mercilessly.