Leeds 5-2 Newcastle: 'It was Sunday park football defending' - Bruce
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Patrick Bamford has scored 34 league goals for Leeds - 13 more than any other player at the club since August 2018
Manager Steve Bruce likened Newcastle's defending to "something you see on a park on a Sunday" after they conceded three times in the last 13 minutes at Leeds.
The Magpies were in the game at 2-2 until the 77th minute when right-back Stuart Dallas stole in at the far post to convert Mateusz Klich's ball from the left.
In searching for an equaliser, the visitors ditched their counter-attacking tactic only to be twice given a taste of their own medicine when Ezgjan Alioski fired in from substitute Pablo Hernandez's pass after a swift break before Jack Harrison thumped home a brilliant fifth on the run from 25 yards.
"I thought we looked a threat when we equalised," said Bruce, referring to Ciaran Clark's 65th-minute header.
"Of course Leeds are always going to ask you questions the way they play, they do it very well, but we've gifted them the two or three goals at the end. Unfortunately they're something which you see on a park on a Sunday.
"We can't make those mistakes we've made here. At the wrong time we've given away poor goals, not defended well enough and got punished. It's unacceptable."
As for dominant Leeds, it was only their second Premier League win in seven games.
The home side had 25 shots on goal - 14 of which came in the first 45 minutes, the most by a team in the opening half of a Premier League game this season.
They went behind when Jeff Hendrick converted from close range before Patrick Bamford's header levelled matters. Rodrigo's brilliant stooping header gave the advantage to the home side, but Newcastle hit back through defender Clark.
However, unlike many recent matches, the valiant exertions of Marcelo Bielsa's side were rewarded with the late flurry of goals, and the win moves them up to 13th, level on 17 points with Newcastle in 14th.
Leeds rewarded for domination
Jack Harrison (left) scored the goal of the game at Elland Road
Despite only one win in six and knowing his attack faced a hardy defence, Bielsa said before the contest that he had no reason to change the XI that lost 2-1 to West Ham at the weekend.
And why would he? When it comes to energy expenditure and endeavour the promoted side have yet to let down their commander-in-chief - the main negatives have been converting their domination into goals and conceding from set-pieces.
For much of the game, it seemed like history would be repeating. Having given the Magpies' defence a thorough workout they were level with time running out. Fortunately for them, their fitness levels are up there with the best in the league as well as their concentration levels, unlike Sean Longstaff, who was pickpocketed in the area seconds before Dallas headed the home side back into the lead.
That changed Newcastle's approach, and Leeds ruthlessly took advantage. Harrison, whose magnificent control and peach of a cross led to Rodrigo's goal, provided the icing on a very palatable cake when he let fly from 25 yards to seal a deserved victory.
"In both halves we attacked a lot and created plenty of chances but in the second half we were more efficient," said Bielsa.
"The team carried on playing in a calm and organised manner after they levelled the game and eventually we were able to get on top of them again and get on top of them when we needed to."
Penalty decision does Newcastle no favours
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Newcastle have this uncanny knack of looking beaten but still managing to eke out results - ask Wolves, Everton and Tottenham.
Despite conceding 71% of possession, they were in the contest with 14 minutes to go at 2-2. And perhaps Bruce's side might have been defending three points rather than one had referee Simon Hooper and his VAR team judged Liam Cooper's foul on Callum Wilson in the area to be illegal earlier in the second half, with the score at 1-1.
But alas, there was no penalty and despite equalising through Clark, a succession of errors and Leeds' greater will resulted in this late capitulation.
Bruce's rope-a-dope tactics have worked successfully this season, but this was not one of those occasions.
With reference to the failed penalty appeal, the Magpies boss added: "I honestly was all for VAR when they brought it in to make sure the clear and obvious mistakes that the referee misses, that's what the VAR is there for.
"If anybody looks at the challenge you understand that it's a clear penalty. We might not have gone on to win the match but certainly when you take the lead in the Premier League then the outcome could be very, very different."
What's next?
Newcastle host Fulham on Saturday (20:00 GMT) and Leeds are at Manchester United on Sunday (16:30) for the eagerly awaited clash between the fierce rivals.
Bielsa praises 'positive' Leeds performance
Bamford is Bielsa's best - stats
Leeds scored five goals in a home Premier League game for the first time since May 2001, when they beat Bradford 6-1.
Newcastle conceded five goals in a top-flight league match against a newly promoted side for the first time since August 1958, against Blackburn (1-5).
Leeds became the first newly promoted team to score five goals in a home Premier League game since Leicester won 5-1 vs QPR in May 2015, going on to win the Premier League the following season.
Bamford became the all-time top-scoring player in Bielsa's entire managerial career, netting his 35th goal and overtaking Fernando Llorente, who scored 34 under Bielsa between 2011 and 2013 for Athletic Bilbao.
Hernandez became the oldest player (35y 249d) to assist twice in a Premier League game for Leeds since Gordon Strachan (age 36) in November 1993 v Swindon.
Wilson has been directly involved in 10 goals in 11 Premier League appearances this season (seven goals, three assists), more than in 35 games for Bournemouth in the last campaign (nine).
Since the start of last season, Harrison has more league assists for Leeds than any other player (12).
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