Leeds United boss Marcelo Bielsa believes his side's 1-1 draw with Nottingham Forest last weekend was their best performance of the season so far.

The Whites were held to a point at Elland Road as Lewis Grabban pounced late on to cancel out Pablo Hernandez's strike, which had given his side a second-half lead 18 minutes earlier.

This is the only competitive match Leeds have failed to win this season, as they cruised cruised to a 3-1 victory over Bristol City on the opening day and then beat Salford City 3-0 in midweek.

However, Bielsa claims - as reported by The Athletic's Phil Hay - his side played best against Forest due to the small number of chances they restricted their opponents to, as the Reds recorded just six shots throughout the match compared to Leeds' 15.

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Bielsa was speaking in his press conference before his side's clash with Wigan Athletic on the weekend, during which Leeds will look to maintain their unbeaten start to the season.

The verdict

It is surprising to see Bielsa label the only match Leeds haven't won as their best performance so far, but the statement does make sense in terms of Leeds' overall game play.

Bielsa's men allowed Bristol City and Salford City to record 15 and 13 shots respectively when they faced them, with these numbers indicating that Leeds were perhaps too open at the back.

Much of Bielsa's game plan at Leeds involves his side closing their opponents' space, so it would have been pleasing for him to see his players heavily restrict Forest at Elland Road.

The Argentine's comments also reflect his priorities in terms of playing style, as it is just as important to him that his team restricts chances as well as creating them.