Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa has revealed his happiness at the goal scored by striker Patrick Bamford during his side's 2-0 win over Huddersfield Town on Saturday afternoon.

After Luke Ayling's stunning volley had put Leeds ahead less than three minutes into the game, Bamford doubled his side's lead five minutes after half time, tapping in from close range after Jonas Lossl had parried Ben White's initial header.

That effort ended a run of seven starts without a goal for Bamford, taking his tally to 13 for the season, and that breakthrough for the 26-year-old is something that Bielsa appears particularly pleased about.

Speaking after the game about Bamford's strike, Bielsa said: “Happy for him. Centre-forwards needs to score and he couldn’t do it for a long time."

Indeed, it seems Bielsa was also impressed by the nature of Bamford's goal, and encouraged by what it could mean for the striker going forward, as he continued: “Today he scored a typical goal from a centre-forward. It is going to be useful for him.”

Following that strike against the Terriers, Bamford has now scored a total of 23 goals in 63 appearances in all competitions for Leeds since joining from Middlesbrough in the summer of 2018.

That win over Huddersfield has now lifted the Whites to the top of the Championship table, seven points clear of the play-off places ahead of their trip to top-six hopefuls Cardiff next weekend.

The Verdict

That goal for Bamford does feel like it could be a major moment in both his and Leeds' season.

It seems as though Bamford's struggles in front of goal are as well documented as any other player's in the division, so this will have gone some to lifting the pressure he may have been feeling recently.

With Bamford, it often seems to be the case that his goals come in clusters, so he will surely be hoping that that is something that now happens again, given the crucial stage of the season we are now approaching.

Leeds will of course be desperate to continue to pick up the results they need to maintain their current position in the battle for promotion, and having a centre forward such as Bamford fit and firing will go a long way to helping them to do that.