Leeds United: Lee Hendrie rages live on Sky Sports over controversial incident in win v Stoke
Ben Pearson’s actions during Leeds United’s match against Stoke City on Tuesday, March 5, have infuriated Lee Hendrie.
The 29-year-old was sent off at Elland Road for an off-the-ball foul on Welsh international Dan James, according to the commentator, who made the statement while appearing on Sky Sports News on Tuesday at 9:31 p.m.
He continued by saying that the English midfielder, who only entered the game as a second-half substitute, “absolutely destroyed” the Potters’ chances of winning the match as the Whites came out on top 1-0.
“He’s just absolutely destroyed it for Stoke City,” said Hendrie. “He’s come on as a substitute. Honestly, the times I’ve seen him do things like this is just absolutely ridiculous.
“It’s off the ball. I’m not sure whether it might be a straight red, he certainly had a yellow card not long ago and then it was obviously a yellow that led to the red.
“But just absolutely unbelievable, just letting his teammates down, particularly when I just felt they were having a really good spell.”
Ben Pearson loves a red card against Leeds United
Although Pearson did not enter the game until the 54th minute, it is not surprising that he was given a red card—this is his third red card versus Leeds in his career.
The ball was nowhere near the pair at that precise moment, therefore the midfielder’s swipe at James was totally unnecessary.
That choice totally destroyed the Whites’ hopes of leaving Elland Road with a victory, as Stoke placed pressure on them in an attempt to force a late equaliser.
Without a certain, his fellow Potters players would be enraged with him, but in the end, Daniel Farke’s club came out on top.
They are still in the running for automatic promotion this season, behind only second-place Ipswich Town by two points, despite the fact that the outcome did not move them closer to the top two.
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Thankfully, Leeds managed to hold on for a 1-0 victory despite being far from their best on Tuesday night, with the Whites likely finishing second to Stoke in the second half. Three more points, ten of the previous eleven victories.
James waited for his opportunity and seized it with style when he returned to the side. With the ball coming into the net, the Wales star had little choice but to shoot. He is playing with a great deal of confidence.
However, Leeds appeared exhausted and lethargic for much of the Tuesday night match. Just prior to James’ goal, with the score still at 0-0, White revealed that Farke was starting to lose his cool.
“Pressure is on Stoke. We’re regaining possession, putting shots in,” White told BBC Radio Leeds during commentary. “Farke is on the sidelines with his hands in the air asking “can we speed this up a bit?”
Aidy White shares what Daniel Farke was doing on touchline
Not shocking. Leeds were not playing at their best. against this point, fatigue is understandable, and Leeds was always going to feel the effects of their demanding schedule—they had a game three days after the draw against Huddersfield, for example.
Strangely, Sheffield Wednesday is up next on Friday, just 72 hours after the victory tonight. To compete better against the in-form Owls, Farke must find a way to rekindle his players’ enthusiasm.
In fact, Ian Poveda’s Wednesday defeated Plymouth 1-0 at Hillsborough on Tuesday night, winning again. They are fully motivated, and Leeds must perform at their highest level to win away from home.
