Chris Dunlavy A FRESH TAKE ON FOOTBALL

Prem unlikely, but Sammie’s class act

CRYSENCIO Summerville might have beaten Sammie Szmodics to the Championship Player of the Season award at Grosvenor House last Sunday.

On the pitch, however, it was the Blackburn man who prevailed. Twenty-four hours earlier, Szmodics scored the only goal of the game as Leeds’ long unbeaten run at Elland Road came to a shattering end, evoking painful memories of the 2-1 defeat to ten-man Wigan in 2019 that effectively consigned Marcelo Bielsa’s men to the playoffs.

Daniel Farke cut a crestfallen figure in the aftermath, yet even he felt compelled to talk about Szmodics, whose goal capped an all-round performance that bristled with exactly the sort of ruthless efficiency the home side lacked.

“Blackburn are a side who don’t usually create that much, so to be there, at this stage in the season, with 24 Championship goals - that’s outstanding,” said the Whites boss. “Szmodics is quality. He only needed one situation to score.”