da bet7： Leeds United avoided an FA Cup upset away at League Two side Cambridge United on Monday night as a spirited second-half performance saw them come from a goal down to win 2-1.
da bet7： Garry Monk’s side came under intense pressure in the first period, and the U’s were rewarded with their dominance as Uche Ikpeazu scored with a low shot to take Shaun Derry’s men in ahead at the break.
However, despite this Whites side including eight changes to the one that started their last match in the Championship, they bounced back in the second half with some of their fringe players putting in performances that will give Monk a real selection headache ahead of their huge league clash against fellow promotion hopefuls Derby County on Friday night.
One of those to impress was 21-year-old midfielder Alex Mowatt, who set up Stuart Dallas for United’s equaliser before then going on to score the winner himself.
Here are THREE ways Mowatt proved to Garry Monk that he must be in the starting XI vs Derby…
Goal threat
After Chris Wood, the fact that Leeds’ second top goalscorer in all competitions this season is centre-back Kyle Bartley tells you all you need to know about the club’s need to add more goals both from their other attackers, and midfielder.
Two young midfielders that have featured heavily instead of Mowatt this term – Kalvin Phillips and Ronaldo Vieira – have scored one goal each in the Championship, but their 21-year-old team-mate equalled that record with his headed goal against Cambridge on Monday night.
If he continues to provide that threat going forward, he will be one of the first names on Monk’s teamsheet.
Attitude
It can be frustrating for a 21-year-old to not be getting as many minutes on the pitch as he would like, but rather than sulking Mowatt showed he has the right mentality to force his way into Garry Monk’s starting XI with a spirited performance against Cambridge.
The midfielder was a leader on a difficult night where the hosts and their supporters were making it hard for the Championship outfit, and showed his determination and never-say-die attitude by setting up the equaliser and netting the winner.
That mentality is something that Monk will know is key in the run-in as Leeds look to win promotion back to the Premier League.
All-round game
While he scored the all-important winning goal against Cambridge, Mowatt also proved that he also has plenty more in his locker, and it was his all-round performance that was particularly impressive on a difficult night.
As well as providing the assist for Stuart Dallas’ equaliser, the midfielder’s desire and energy meant that he stood out from a number of his team-mates, and he even appeared a little quicker and fitter than maybe he had in previous outings.