Leeds United vs Bournemouth live: score and latest updates from the Premier League

Good afternoon. Leeds United, in the words of their garrulous manager Jesse Marsch, stopped the bleeding last week with their terrific victory at Anfield, sealed in the dying minutes by Crysencio Summerville’s second goal in six days. So tight is it at the bottom that by ending their run of four defeats, they climbed four places to 15th, one place and one point behind today’s opponents, Bournemouth. 

Gary O’Neil made a fine if surprising start as caretaker manager at the Vitality Stadium, winning two and drawing four of his first six games, but has lost the last three, the third of them after taking a 2-0 lead over Spurs. David Brooks, Lloyd Kelly and Neto are still missing for his side who went with a back three last time it but are likely to revert to a back four at Elland Road. 

As for the home side, Luis Sinisterra has been ruled out until after the World Cup with a metatarsal injury sustained during their last home match, the 3-2 defeat by Fulham where the feeling of deflation in the stands was palpable once Fulham made it 1-1. When they scored their second, after Patrick Bamford missed a good chance, it was as if, in the words of the writer Paul Rogerson, “the fans knew we were going to lose, the players knew we were going to lose and so did the manager”. By winning at Anfield, though, Marsch now has the opportunity to alleviate the tension that would have been felt throughout the World Cup by taking another three points today. 

Of course, the 13th match of the season is never a ‘must-win’ game but picking up back-to-back victories for the first time in nine months is necessary to build momentum and banish the Twin Peaks dread of ‘it is happening again’. Leeds took zero points off the top six last season and have already bettered that by six from three games against Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool. But they need to start beating teams around them, too, and convince their supporters they can find a way of beating the low block and concentrating for long enough not to be suckered on the break.