'A group growing into itself at the right time'

Against one of the best sides in world football, and somehow they still made us believe.

There is always something about Elland Road under the lights, and from the first whistle you could feel it again. Recent night games have brought momentum and belief, and even with Manchester City in town, there was no sense of fear in the stands or on the pitch. Respect, yes. But not fear.

The opening spell summed that up perfectly. We came flying out and asked real questions. Dominic Calvert-Lewin set the tone early on. That first chance will haunt him because he knows it should have hit the net, but the run itself was top class. Power, intent, and a willingness to take on elite defenders. With World Cup conversations starting to bubble away, you cannot help but feel he deserves to be in the mix. From a selfish point of view you would love to keep him at bay from any injury, and there are three more obvious names that will more then likely travel to the US, but it's not to say it's not deserving.

There were other moments too that showed just how competitive this side has become. Gruev's strike had the ground holding its breath, and then came the Aaronson chance. The frustration there was real because he actually had more time than he realised. At this level, those half-seconds matter. The right decision and it could have been a very different night.

And that is what makes the result sting. Not disappointment in the performance, but the feeling that something was there to take. A point would have felt deserved. Three would not have been outrageous. Yet even in defeat, there was perspective. When you look at the results around us and the way we are trending, this is not a team fading into the bottom three. It is a group growing into itself at exactly the right time.

That said, the nerves are never too far away. Seeing Spurs and West Ham looming in the final fixtures still brings that familiar knot in the stomach. We have seen too many dramatic finishes over the years, and it is hard not to brace ourselves for another one.

Attention now turns to Tuesday and what feels like a pivotal night against Sunderland. On paper it is more winnable, but games like this often carry more pressure. Sunderland have shown signs of life again and will not make it easy. Still, being back under the lights at Elland Road feels significant. These are the moments that define survival pushes.

There are a few concerns going into it. The possible Rodon knock is one. The other is the absence of Daniel Farke after his red card on Saturday, which means he will be watching from the stands rather than the touchline. That is where Eddie Riemer suddenly becomes even more important. Hearing him speak afterwards was reassuring. He came across calm and clear, and with him likely taking on a bigger presence from the sidelines, that composure could matter.

Ultimately, this performance felt like another step forward. Not a night for despair, but one that quietly builds belief. If we bring the same intensity on Tuesday, the opportunity is there to take a huge stride towards safety.

Under the lights, with the crowd behind us, you would not back against us. MOT.

Molly Whitmore is a regular contributor on BBC Radio Leeds - find all their audio here