Leeds United picked up another vital three points on Tuesday evening as they came from behind to beat relegation rivals Nottingham Forest 2-1 at Elland Road.
What happened in Leeds vs Forest?
Leeds fell behind at home when Orel Mangala showed good composure to find the bottom corner inside the penalty box but swiftly responded through Jack Harrison, with the winger slamming home after Keylor Navas parried Marc Roca's strike.
It was 2-1 before the break as Luis Sinisterra danced his way around a number of defenders before smashing the ball into the bottom corner. That topped a wonderful display from the Colombian wide man who was simply an "absolute joke" throughout the clash, as per broadcaster Conor McGilligan.
The result lifts Leeds out of the bottom three all the way up to 13th, although recent weeks have shown just how changeable the table can be with one good or bad result.
Who was Gracia's best performer vs Forest?
While there were a number of strong performances on display on Tuesday evening, including that of Sinieterra, it was arguably Pascal Struijk who was Javi Gracia's unsung hero in the win.
As per Sofascore, the 23-year-old defender would earn a superb 7.9/10 rating for his performance, which ranked him as the second-best player on the pitch from both sides, with only that man Sinisterra (8.2) rated higher.
During the 90 minutes, the former Ajax prospect would contribute a phenomenal two interceptions, three tackles, three blocks and six clearances, in what was a defensive masterclass from the young centre-back.
With Leeds needing to throw their bodies on the line to protect a vital three points, Struijk produced one of his best displays of the season, as the £50k-per-week brute has averaged just 1.3 interceptions, three tackles, 0.5 blocks and 2.3 clearances per game so far this campaign, which emphasises just how impressive he was at Elland Road.
Yorkshire Evening Post writer Graham Smyth summed up the defender's display when he produced another crucial block in the dying moments, suggesting that he was "huge" for Leeds.
The Belgian-born ace wasn't just impressive from a defensive perspective, however, as he also produced a calm and composed passing performance which exemplifies his quality on the ball on what will surely have been a nervous night for everyone at Elland Road.
During the game, Struijk would complete 55/60 passes with a success rate of 92%, which again is a vast improvement on the 79.6% he has averaged in the Premier League so far this term.
When you consider that the centre-back also won 83% (10/12) of his duels in a physical game against Forest, he surely deserves to be lauded as Gracia's true hero on Tuesday night.