Millwall v Leeds: Thomas Christiansen calls for quick response against Clarets

Christiansen was pleased to see United hold on to top spot after defeat at Millwall but said: “I’m happy with that. What I need to bring with me are the things we can learn from this defeat. We have to be critical of ourselves and with me first.”

A second-half goal from Aiden O’Brien broke United’s seven-match unbeaten run and extended Millwall’s dominant record at home to Leeds, earning them an eighth win in nine meetings at their own ground.

Leeds have won only twice at the New Den in the past decade and Christiansen’s side were overrun by a high-energy performance from Millwall, who also ended United’s sequence of six successive clean sheets in the Championship.

Christiansen said: “The ideas for this game were clear; we knew that it would be a direct play, an aggressive game, with fast transitions to attack, but we were not able to stop that.

“We had to stop it and go into the battle with the same intensity as Millwall did.

“I want to see a reaction after a defeat. We have to learn from our mistakes and bring it to the next game.

“I cannot complain (about) the players for anything because if we are in the first position, still now, it’s because of them, so I will not complain for one loss in a very bad game.

“We didn’t do the things right during the 90 minutes and everyone has the right to make mistakes.

“I’m of course not happy with the result, but we have to face the fact that we didn’t play a good game and Millwall deserved this win.”

Millwall manager Neil Harris said: “We’ve played in a lot of games this year where we’ve been as good as that and not got the points, so it’s very pleasing to play that well and get the three points.

“We knew it was going to be tough because Leeds have scored the most goals and conceded the least. It makes them the best team in the league.

“Credit goes to the players for executing the game-plan.”

Millwall: Archer, McLaughlin, Webster, Hutchinson, Meredith, Wallace (Tunnicliffe 90), Williams, Saville, O’Brien (Ferguson 81), Onyedinma (Cooper 90), Morison. Unused substitutes: Martin, Craig, Romeo, Twardek.

Leeds United: Wiedwald, Ayling, Shaughnessy, Jansson, Anita, Phillips, O’Kane, Alioski (Roofe 46), Samuel (Grot 72), Hernandez (Dallas 46), Lasogga. Unused substitutes: Lonergan, Cibicki, Vieira, Berardi.

Referee: T Robinson (West Sussex).