Rodrigo 4, Patrick Bamford 5; Leandro Trossard 9, Neal Maupay 7 - Leeds v Brighton player ratings

Maupay’s first-half goal gave Brighton & Hove Albion all three points at Elland Road

LEEDS RATINGS: Kiko Casilla – 6. Dealt with a Webster shot late on untidily. He had no chance with the goal, but did not have a huge amount of work otherwise. Reuters

Stuart Dallas – 6. Nowhere near his usual energy, and his impact was down on the usual return as a consequence. Reuters

Luke Ayling – 6. Moved into centre-back alongside Cooper, and his heart might have missed a beat when Maupay went down near him in the 10th minute. Booked for fouling Trossard. Reuters

Liam Cooper – 6. Settled back in to the starting XI after injury. He coped well enough with the lone striker threat of Maupay for all but the goal. Reuters

Ezgjan Alioski – 6. Fired in an exocet of a cross early on, from which Rodrigo should have scored. At that point it felt like Leeds were in the mood. It soon went flat, though. AFP

Pascal Struijk – 4. Had a tough task filling the boots of Kalvin Phillips, and never threatened to exert the same influence the suspended midfielder routinely does. EPA

Jack Harrison – 7. Did his best to carry the fight, but his 100th appearance for Leeds was marked with frustration. EPA

Rodrigo – 4. Had an air shot from a brilliant delivery from Alioski from Leeds’ first notable attack. Little joy thereafter, and gave way for Tyler Roberts just after the hour. EPA

Mateusz Klich – 6. Blazed a shot over early on when Leeds did have some ascendancy. Played a fine through ball that led to a chance for Harrison at the start of the second half, but that was fleeting. Reuters

Raphinha – 6. Flattered to deceive for the most part, with some flashy touches in areas that were never likely to hurt Brighton – other than when he outfoxed Veltman with some sublime skill. AFP

Patrick Bamford – 5. Much like Rodrigo, he aimed an air-shot at his first chance, which was also a cross from the Leeds left. Had just four touches in the first half, and not many more in the second, either. Reuters

SUB: Tyler Roberts – 7. Added the sort of impetus that had been curiously lacking until his emergence off the bench. His eagerness to impress cost his side, too, when he pinched a shot off Ayling. AFP

SUB: Pablo Hernandez – 6. Got on the ball and attempted to play with some creative intent, but he was unable to prise any real openings. Reuters

SUB: Ian Poveda-Ocampo – NA. No chance to show his attacking wares after being introduced in place of Raphinha with 15 minutes left. Reuters

BRIGHTON RATINGS: Robert Sanchez – 7. So dominant in the air, coming to collect any of the high crosses that his centre-backs couldn’t deal with. Reuters

Adam Webster – 8. Central to the effort to shackle Bamford and Rodrigo, and looked confident carrying the ball forward, too. Booked for a foul on Roberts, but even that suited his side. EPA

Lewis Dunk – 8. Cut a composed presence at the heart of defence, although they were rarely unduly troubled at the back. AFP

Dan Burn – 6. Might have undone all of the away side’s good work with a soft giveaway then ended in a chance for the Leeds substitute Roberts, but his side escaped unharmed. Reuters

Joel Veltman – 7. Had glory in mind with one first-half break, only to be felled by loose turf, and also was shown up by one sparkling bit of Raphinha trickery in the second half. Offered plenty the rest of the time. AFP

Ben White – 8. Returning to the club where he excelled last season. He made a marauding run in the first half that ended with his shot being blocked. Excellent at spoiling Leeds attacks. EPA

Pascal Gross – 6. His work was often overshadowed by the other creative forces in the away line up. He might have threatened more at set pieces, given the towering players he had to aim at. AFP

Solly March – 7. It said much about his influence that Jack Harrison was tasked as much with defence for Leeds as he was creating. AFP

Leandro Trossard – 9. His neatly weighted layoff for Mac Allister enabled the Argentine to find Maupay for the first goal. Saw a deflected cross hit the bar shortly after. Outstanding, before surprisingly being subbed with 18 minutes left. AFP

Alexis Mac Allister – 8. Smart interchange with Trossard to set up Maupay for the goal, against the run of the early play, and he was perky throughout. Unfortunate to be hooked just after the hour. AFP

Neal Maupay – 7. Very busy in the opening exchanges, first in search of a penalty, then knocking into an open goal after an incisive move. Industrious throughout. EPA

SUB: Yves Bissouma – 7. Came on for Mac Allister. He filled a different role to the Argentine, but the away side benefitted from his calmness on the ball. Reuters

SUB: Percy Tau – NA. He and fellow late introduction Davy Propper fulfilled their brief well, holding the ball up and chewing up seconds as the clock ticked away to the win. AFP

SUB: Davy Propper – NA. Brought on for the goalscorer Maupay with 10 minutes to go, it seemed like he had one job: to mince time. He did it well Reuters

Neal Maupay’s first-half goal gave Brighton & Hove Albion all three points with a 1-0 win against Leeds United at Elland Road.

It was the Frenchman’s fourth goal in five matches against Leeds, and set his side up for a valuable – and well deserved – away win.

Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds lacked their usual effervescence, and followed up their embarrassing FA Cup loss to Crawley a week earlier with a third defeat of 2021 so far.