Leeds United v Chelsea: Premier League – live!

63 mins: It looks like the Chelsea changes are coming too. Pulisic is stripped and ready for action. He will be joined on the pitch by Ziyech.

Adam Kline-Schoder emails: “Re the best American to play in the Premier League: I’ve always been impressed by the American goalkeepers – Tim Howard, Kasey Keller, etc. Too bad they keep getting overlooked. Ah well; always a bridesmaid and never a McBride, eh?”

There’s been no shortage of good American goalkeepers down the years.

61 mins: Sub for Leeds with Forshaw coming on for Roca. The Spaniard has worked hard in midfield today. Marsch must want some fresh legs in there to keep up Leeds’ high tempo.

59 mins: They have just shown Havertz on the screen to remind me that he is playing. I am not sure I have mentioned him once.

57 mins: Aaronson clips a cross to the back post for Harrison to attack. Despite sprinting at full pelt, the winger is beaten to the ball by James who turns it behind for a corner.

Down the other end … Gallagher spins inside the box but sees his shot deflect inches wide.

Everyone who has emailed about the best American in the Premier League says Clint Dempsey, so he wins.

55 mins: Chelsea have looked brighter in the opening 10 minutes of the second half but without offering the requisite threat to get back into the game. I suspect we might see Hudson-Odoi or Pulisic on soon to add greater width.

53 mins: A Loftus-Cheek shot deflects into Gallagher’s path in space in the area, he takes a touch and should score but Meslier is quickly out to spurn the chance as the offside flag goes up.

51 mins: Chelsea struggle to clear a Leeds corner but when they eventually do, Sterling leads the counter and slips a pass into Mount’s path but his shot is straight at a defender.

49 mins: Another chance for Cucurella. Chelsea get the ball into the box – Mounts lays it into the path of the Spaniard but he swings his right boot at it and sends his shot over.

47 mins: Chelsea are now playing with a back four so there has been a tactical change but the personnel have remained the same. James at right-back, Cucurella left with Loftus-Cheek pushed into midfield alongside Jorginho, and Gallagher is further up the pitch. Looks like a 4-2-3-1, I would say.

Ezra Finkelstein asks: “On the topic of Americans in the Premier League, who was the best Yank to play here?”

Second half

Michael Driscoll says: “I’m from the same part of the US as Brendan Aaronsen (South Jersey, the happy half of the Garden State). He has a younger brother who also came up through the Philadelphia Union youth academy (one of the best among MLS), and he plays for the Union now. This kid is legit.”

I have heard his brother Paxten might be better than Brenden. We shall see …

It might be extreme to sub a goalkeeper but I do wonder if being allowed to make five changes during the match might mean we see more goalkeeper changes mid-match …

Some half-time reading from the main man Nick Ames.

Half-time: Leeds 2-0 Chelsea

45 mins: Two minutes added on.

43 mins: Roca is on the deck after being caught in the back of the head. It allows Sky to take a good look at how hard Aaronson has worked. His heat maps implies he has covered 97% of the pitch already.

41 mins: I say that and then Loftus-Cheek does some fine work on the right, showing skill to get to the byline from where he pulls the ball back to Cucurella in space but he reminds everyone why he is a defender by trade with an unconvincing shot that dribbles wide.

39 mins: Just when I thought Chelsea were in control, Leeds turn it around thanks to their intense work across the pitch. Chelsea might need to make some half-time changes at this rate. I would advise Koulibaly and Loftus-Cheek are the ones to go off.

GOAL! Leeds 2-0 Chelsea (Rodrigo, 37)

35 mins: Lordy that is thick. Koulibaly, who has already been booked, goes through the back of James. Chelsea are wound up and feeling the pressure. Tuchel might need to calm his players down here.

GOAL! Leeds 1-0 Chelsea (Aaronson, 33)

32 mins: Rodrigo is penalised for a shoulder in James’ back, much to the Spaniard’s chagrin. He storms over to Stuart Attwell to express his displeasure but it does not change the referee’s mind.

Rodrigo channels frustration with a vicious shot from inside the area but it is straight at Mendy, who holds on.

30 mins: Aaronson sends an outswinging corner into the box, it lands on Llorente’s head but he is underneath the ball and sends his effort well over.

28 mins: Chelsea are starting to control this game, I feel. They have seen off the early intense press from Leeds and are looking to turn possession into chances.

26 mins: Struijk is penalised for fouling Loftus-Cheek after getting too close to the Chelsea man. That is becoming an intriguing duel on the far side. I imagine at least one of them will be booked before the final whistle.

24 mins: Elsewhere: West Ham 0-1 Brighton (Mac Allister, pen)

22 mins: Chelsea break on Leeds, with the ball reaching Mount around 25 yards from goal; the England midfielder dribbles forward and takes aim from the edge of the area but Meslier gets down to his left to turn it behind.

“This is MarschBall,” emails Jeremy Boyce, “very similar to the BielsaBall we all loved. The test is, does he have a plan B, Bielsa was plan A all the way, a great plan but you need the players to make it work.”

Plan B might still be waiting to be signed in the transfer market.

20 mins: Koulibaly is inside the Leeds half and decides he has a cunning plan. Sadly, Baldrick has helped him concoct it and he just pings the ball straight into Meslier’s arms. Tuchel is rightly fuming.

Down the other end, Rodrigo latches onto a ball that ricochets into his path but he drags his shot wide from just inside the area.

18 mins: Chelsea ping a few dangerous passes around their own box. They are toying with the Leeds press but it is eventually their downfall as the home team win the ball back, only to see their counter ended by the offside flag.

16 mins: That is a warning for Leeds. Sterling has roamed into space on two occasions in this match and the need to keep an eye on him.

15 mins: No goal! Sterling receives a pass from Cucurella, he takes a few touches and then curls the ball into the bottom. Luckily for Leeds the flag is raised against Sterling and VAR agrees.

12 mins: Leeds under Marsch certainly get in the faces of opponents. Chelsea have looked a little rattled by the closing down they are witnessing.

10 mins: Koulibaly is turned by Aaronson, forcing the defender to pull him back to stop the attack. A yellow card is issued for his troubles. Leeds have had more possession in the opening 10 minutes, according to the stats. I am not sure many will have anticipated that.

8 mins: Aaronson almost slips a pass through for James to latch onto. The American looks brought for Leeds once more. I saw him play on the opening day when he showed great promise.

6 mins: Loftus-Cheek receives the ball in space inside the box but he takes too many touches when a shot seems the best option. In the end he is closed down, resulting in a Chelsea corner. Maybe a more confident player in front of goal would have fired a shot off. A golden opportunity missed.

Struijk is on the deck after coming off worse following a challenge with Loftus-Cheek. The Leeds defender catches an elbow from his opponent who does not try very hard to get the ball. There is no booking for Loftus-Cheek but Marsch and Tuchel share a few words.

4 mins: Leeds look up for the battle today. They are putting Chelsea under pressure wherever they are on the pitch. James has their first shot in anger of the day but it flies very high and well wide.

A well-worked move concludes with Harrison stinging Mendy’s palms soon after.

2 mins: A very good chance for Sterling. The forward finds space on the left, collects a pass and drives into the area, before cutting inside and taking aim but his shot goes the wrong side of the post.

Kick-off

The players are in the tunnel and Elland Road is rocking.

Bright sunshine and a light breeze in Leeds. Do playing conditions get any better?

Marsch: “I think this team is different to the one at the end of last season. We are disciplined and we know how we want to play. We are confident.”

Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink does not think Raheem Sterling was well respected at City. He claims that Pep Guardiola was always thinking about letting the winger go, rather than making him an integral part of the team. Micah Richards, a man who knows City inside and out, disagrees.

I think it is actually four on the bench.

Brian Deane is in the middle of the pitch at Elland Road and has been forced to discuss scoring the first ever Premier League goal 30 years ago. I am sure he has a few other anecdotes to trot out.

Cucurella starts for Chelsea. Sid Lowe has a look at the Spaniard’s journey to Chelsea.

Connor Gallagher gets a start for Chelsea and Loftus-Cheek will have another outing at right wing-back.

Patrick Bamford misses out through injury. It’s a blow to Leeds because his replacement James is very much a different player down the middle.

Starting lineups

Preamble