Leeds United took a psychological advantage from dismantling of Arsenal - Sue Smith

Some of my mates who are Leeds fans went to the game saying they were not bothered about winning.

I am sure others will have thought differently, and I bet they did once the match kicked off.

I thought Leeds were absolutely brilliant in the first half. I keep an eye out for my old club and love their intensity and movement.

I love the fact they can play expansively but also keep it tight when they need to.

At times on Monday they looked like the Premier League side, opening Arsenal up with sheer quality.

It was only their finishing which cost them when Arsenal stepped it up in the second half.

I was watching with my mum, who takes an interest in football because of me, but was a neutral, and she was really getting into the game because of how good Leeds were. She will not be the only neutral they won over on Monday.

Marcelo Bielsa rotated a few of his players, but with the intensity his team plays at, he probably had to. It just shows it is not a one-size-fits-all approach.

Bielsa might not admit it, but the way Leeds play probably caused them to burn out in the second half of last season, and he will surely be wary of that.

But the psychological benefits of Monday’s performance cannot be ignored.

I wish all managers saw it that way.