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Marcelo Bielsa insists Leeds cannot compete with the big six yet

:Headline: Marcelo Bielsa insists Leeds cannot compete with the big six yet:
Marcelo Bielsa's side upset league leaders Manchester City last week despite playing with 10 men.
Sports Mole

Marcelo Bielsa insists Leeds still have plenty of work to do in their bid to challenge the Premier League's traditional top six.

Leeds beat champions-elect Manchester City 2-1 at the Etihad Stadium last week despite playing the second half with 10 men following the dismissal of skipper Liam Cooper.

The Whites next face Liverpool on Monday at Elland Road, but when it was suggested his side could hold their own against the top flight's elite Bielsa did not agree.

"We can see against the traditional top six in England that only against Arsenal were we able to play as equals," he said.

"That was in the first half of the first game we played against them at home. The second half of that game we played with one man more.

"In the game against Man Utd we did not deserve a better result than the one we obtained. Perhaps the margin should not have been so high but they still deserved their win, the same with Tottenham.

"The two Chelsea games were very difficult for us, especially the first one. The draw against Chelsea we deserved but in a game they dominated, and we did not deserve to win it.

Stuart Dallas, left, snatched victory for Leeds at the Etihad Stadium with a late breakaway goal (Michael Regan/PA)

"In the two games against City, at home the draw was fair and in the first half of this game they were better than us and in the second we were a man down.

"So my conclusions are not the same as yours. We haven't been able to play as equals against the traditional top six in the Premier League.

"To anticipate when this will happen is not prudent. These types of things, more than announce them you have to demonstrate them, and up until now we haven't managed it."

Leeds announced themselves back on the big stage in thrilling fashion on the opening day of the season, losing out in a seven-goal thriller at Anfield against Jurgen Klopp's champions.

Mateusz Klich lashed home Leeds' third goal in their 4-3 defeat at Anfield on the opening day of the season (Paul Ellis/PA)

"It was a game of goals, emotional," Bielsa said. "It was the first game and despite the defeat it left some good feelings.

"While that was at the start of the season, throughout the development of the league it forces you to renovate your efforts for every single game."

Liverpool face a battle for a top-four finish after seeing their hopes of a successful title defence evaporate since the turn of the year.

Their Champions League campaign has also ended after their 3-1 aggregate quarter-final defeat to Real Madrid this week, but Bielsa is still a big admirer.

"I like to see Liverpool play," he said. "They always play in the same manner. For me, that's big praise for a team."

Bielsa added: "They're a team which constantly thinks about producing good football. They don't speculate, attack always.

"They spend a lot of time attacking and not so much defending. Like every team they have ups and downs."

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Premier League Table
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Manchester CityMan City33245469244577
2Manchester UnitedMan Utd331910464352967
3Leicester CityLeicester33195960382262
4Chelsea331610751312058
5West Ham UnitedWest Ham331671053431055
6Liverpool33159955391654
7Tottenham HotspurSpurs331581056381853
8Everton32157104440452
9Leeds UnitedLeeds33145145050047
10Arsenal33137134437746
11Aston Villa32136134637945
12Wolverhampton WanderersWolves33118143245-1341
13Crystal Palace32108143454-2038
14Burnley3399153045-1536
15Southampton32106164058-1836
16Newcastle UnitedNewcastle3399153654-1836
17Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton33713133339-634
18Fulham33512162543-1827
19West Bromwich AlbionWest Brom33510183064-3425
RSheffield UnitedSheff Utd3352261856-3817
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League One Table
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Hull City442681077364186
2Peterborough UnitedPeterborough432571174403482
3Sunderland431916866392773
4Lincoln CityLincoln422191264442072
5Oxford UnitedOxford Utd442081670541668
6Blackpool4219111253371668
7Portsmouth432081559461368
8Charlton AthleticCharlton4218121263521166
9MK Dons441810166358564
10Gillingham44189176159263
11Ipswich TownIpswich431711154144-362
12Accrington StanleyAccrington431711155864-662
13Doncaster RoversDoncaster42186185858060
14Fleetwood TownFleetwood431611164537859
15Crewe AlexandraCrewe431611165057-759
16Shrewsbury TownShrewsbury421314154650-453
17Burton Albion431411185566-1153
18Plymouth ArgylePlymouth441411195276-2453
19AFC Wimbledon431213185064-1449
20Wigan AthleticWigan44139225070-2048
21Northampton TownNorthampton441111224063-2344
22Rochdale431013205473-1943
23Swindon TownSwindon44124285084-3440
24Bristol Rovers44108264068-2838
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