The player ratings are in following Leeds United’s 1-0 FA Cup semi-final defeat to Chelsea.
The white and yellow half of Wembley was in fine voice prior to kick-off, but the noise failed to light a fire under Daniel Farke’s men. They spent much of the first half camped in their own half, unable to get any sort of grip on the game.
Chelsea’s dominance was rewarded after 23 minutes, when Enzo Fernandez headed home from a Pedro Neto cross.
Farke shuffled the Leeds pack at half-time, introducing trusted lieutenants Joe Rodon and Anton Stach in place of James Justin and Jaka Bijol. The switches put a spring in the Leeds step as Chelsea’s grip loosened, but a breakthrough proved impossible to find.
The defeat brought an end to Leeds’ FA Cup journey and continued their wait for a win at the ‘new’ Wembley, a ground they have lost 1-0 in on three separate occasions.
Dissection can be tough when emotions are running high, but Farke must pore over the afternoon’s events in excruciating detail. There will be lessons to take into the final four games of the club’s Premier League season, with safety not yet secured.
Fans will undoubtedly have contrasting views on individual performances – views they will share long into the week and beyond. Here are the ratings awarded by The Yorkshire Post at Wembley.
5. Pascal Struijk - 5
He has been among Leeds' strongest performers of late, but he must shoulder the bulk of the blame for Chelsea's opener. The 26-year-old failed to emphatically win the first ball and despite picking up the second, he had his pocket picked and allowed the Blues to get a cross into the box. | Justin Setterfield/Getty Images
6. Jayden Bogle - 6
The right wing-back was perhaps the very definition of a mixed bag. He won some key challenges and had some tidy touches, but on some occasions looked bereft of composure. | Nick Potts/PA Wire
7. Ethan Ampadu - 6
Leeds' captain is a player capable of grabbing games by the scruff of the neck and controlling them. He could not do so against his former employers, but did grow with his side in the second half. His Chelsea team talk-interrupting antics went down well with the travelling supporters too. | Adrian Dennis / AFP via Getty Images
8. Ao Tanaka - 5
The cultured midfielder tends to be at his best when the tide is flowing in Leeds' favour. Chelsea's control meant he could not pull many strings. Simply not his day. | Adrian Dennis / AFP via Getty Images