Category: Leeds United

Final game of the season and we have an impact in the relegation battle; will we send West Ham United down. 

West Ham United 3 – Leeds United 0 – HT 0-0 

V. Castellanos (67′) 

J. Bowen (79′) 

C. Wilson (90’+4)

Assists 

J. Bowen (67′)

Mateus Fernandes (79′)

C. Summerville (90’+4)

West Ham’s 14-year stay in the Premier League has come to an end after they were relegated to the Championship on the final day of the season despite beating Leeds at London Stadium. 

 The Hammers needed to win and hope that Tottenham lost against Everton to have any hope of retaining their top-flight status. 

 For a long while it looked like they would struggle to get the victory they needed as they put in a lethargic display in sweltering conditions, with their cause not helped by Spurs having taken a first-half lead against Everton. 

 But the moment the home fans had been waiting for came in the 67th minute when Taty Castellano headed in Jarrod Bowen’s corner at the back post. 

It got even better for the home side with 11 minutes remaining as they doubled their lead, Bowen driving a neat, angled finish into the far corner. 

 Substitute Callum Wilson added a third in stoppage time, and the Hammers had done their part, but they still needed Everton to turn things around at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. 

 That outcome failed to materialise as Roberto De Zerbi’s side held firm to win and retain their Premier League status. 

 Relegation means West Ham will play Championship football for the first time since the 2011-12 season. 

 Leeds, meanwhile, finish their campaign in 14th as they lost for the first time in nine games. 

 Not the way we wanted to end the season, especially as we were joint 1st performing side in the last 9 games. 

 The main thing was we stayed in the Premiership and with Sunderland, first team promoted teams to do so in three seasons. 

 We just need to make sure we keep Daniel Farke and give him more money to strength the team to challenge more and not be in the bottom half of the table for most of the season. 

 Well done, Leeds in staying up and reaching the FA Cup semi-final. 

 Marching on together.  

Final League position 14th after 38 games with 47 points. 

Win tonight should guarantee our stay in the premiership, hopefully we can pick ourselves up from the FA Cup semi-final defeat last weekend, where we became the first ever team to reach four consecutive FA Cup semi-finals and not score. 

Leeds United 3 – 1 Burnley – HT 1-0 

A. Stach (8′)           L. Tchaouna (71′)

N. Okafor (52′) 

D. Calvert-Lewin (56′) 

 Assists – 

 J. Bijol (8′)               J. Anthony (71′) 

J. Bogle (52′) 

Venue: Elland Road Attendance: 36,265

Leeds United moved a step closer to Premier League survival after climbing nine points clear of the relegation zone with an emphatic win over Burnley at Elland Road. 

Anton Stach opened the scoring for the hosts in the eighth minute, before Noah Okafor and Dominic Calvert-Lewin struck in quick succession after the break to lift the Whites up to 14th place. 

The victory takes Daniel Farke‘s side to 43 points – and no team with that tally has been relegated in a 38-game Premier League season. 

Loum Tchaouna netted a consolation goal for the already-relegated Clarets, but it could not inspire a fightback and their winless league run stretched to nine matches. 

Leeds opened the scoring early on when Stach – passed fit to start after sustaining an injury against Chelsea on Sunday – received the ball from Jaka Bijol and drilled an effort into the bottom corner from distance. 

It was the German midfielder’s fourth goal of the season from outside the area – the most of any top-flight player. 

It was one-way traffic from there as Leeds dominated possession, with Stach looking set to double his tally before a last-ditch intervention from Quilindschy Hartman. 

Managerless Burnley – who parted ways with boss Scott Parker in midweek – had their best chance of the half in the 45th minute, but Jaidon Anthony’s header was blocked by team-mate Zian Flemming. 

There was no danger of Leeds resting on their laurels after the restart as Okafor doubled his side’s lead inside seven minutes with his sixth goal in seven games. 

The Switzerland forward was on hand to finish Jayden Bogle‘s cross after a sweeping move started by Calvert-Lewin. 

Four minutes later, Calvert-Lewin made sure of the result as he pounced on a mistake from Martin Dubravka to score his 12th league goal of the campaign. 

Burnley managed to pull a goal back through Tchaouna inside the final 20 minutes – but a 23rd defeat of the campaign keeps them 19th in the table. 

Well, I hope that record stays, that no Premiership side has been relegated with 43 points. 

I’m pretty sure we have been unbeaten this season on the Friday or Monday nights matches during the season. 

14th in the league, is the highest we have been since early September. 

Marching on together. 

League position 14th after 35 games. 

Crystal Palace 0-0 Leeds United 0 – HT 0-0 

Venue: Selhurst Park Attendance: 25,155 

Dominic Calvert-Lewin missed a first-half penalty as Leeds squandered a chance to win at Crystal Palace – but they did well to hold on for a point in the end after playing the second period with 10 men. 

A dour match sprang to life just before half-time when Palace captain Will Hughes handled the ball from a Leeds corner. 

Calvert-Lewin dragged his spot-kick wide of the left post, and it got worse before the break for the visitors. 

Left wing-back Gabriel Gudmundsson was given a second booking for a foul on Ismaila Sarr in the centre circle and was dismissed – after a short delay – by referee Tom Bramall. 

That came shortly after Palace felt Leeds defender Jaka Bijol should have had a second yellow card following a coming together with Sarr. It led to a flashpoint on the touchline with head coaches Oliver Glasner and Daniel Farke both booked. 

Palace struggled to break down the 10 men, with striker Jean-Philippe Mateta sent on. 

It was the Frenchman’s first league appearance since a move to AC Milan fell through before the transfer deadline and just like on Thursday against AEK Larnaca he was booed by some home fans. 

Mateta nevertheless came close to opening the scoring when deflecting a cross towards goal after 66 minutes, with Leeds keeper Karl Darlow having to parry the ball away. 

Palace did have the ball in the net with 12 minutes to go when Jefferson Lerma bundled in from close range, but it was disallowed because Brennan Johnson was caught offside during the short corner routine in the build-up. 

No winner means Leeds stay three points above the relegation zone. They are seven points behind Palace, who stay 14th. 

How costly will that penalty miss me, from our leading goal scorer too?

We can’t afford to waste golden opportunities, especially away from home, thankfully we still got a point.

We so need to stay up. 

Marching On Together.    

League position 15th after 30 games. 

Leeds United 3 – Nottingham Forest 1 – HT 2-0 

J. Bogle (26′)        L. Lucca (86′) 

N. Okafor (30′) 

D. Calvert-Lewin (49′) 

 Assists – 

I. Gruev (26′, 49′)  O. Hutchinson (86′) 

J. Justin (30′) 

Venue: Elland Road Attendance: 36,835 

Leeds United moved nine points clear of the Premier League’s relegation zone after a dominant win over drop rivals Nottingham Forest. 

 Jayden Bogle, Noah Okafor and Dominic Calvert-Lewin struck as Daniel Farke‘s men pulled further clear of third-bottom West Ham and level on points with Tottenham Hotspur and Crystal Palace. 

 Italian striker Lorenzo Lucca headed home a late consolation for 17th-placed Forest, but it failed to mask a wretched defeat. 

 It was just a fourth win in 16 league games for the hosts, but one which gives 16th-placed Leeds a platform for survival. 

 Before the game, Farke believed four more wins would ensure their top-flight status and his side showed his confidence was not misplaced with a commanding victory. 

 Sean Dyche’s men were well beaten at Elland Road and two goals in the space of four minutes from Bogle and Okafor – who ended a 16-match league scoring drought dating back to October – proved decisive. 

 Calvert-Lewin – who headed against the bar before Bogle‘s 26th-minute opener – added a third goal four minutes after the restart as Leeds made it four successive top-flight home league wins over Forest. 

 It came from a classy, improvised finish, chesting in an Ilia Gruev cross, while 6ft 7in forward Lucca replied with a Forest debut goal in the 86th minute as he rose well to meet an Omari Hutchinson cross. 

 This was an important win, against one of our relegation rivals and to open a good points gap as well.  

 As I’ve been saying all season, we need to win our home matches. 

 Marching On Together.    

 League position 16th after 25 games. 

Leeds United 3 – Liverpool 3 – HT 0-0 

D. Calvert-Lewin (73′ pen)  H. Ekitiké (48′, 50′) 

A. Stach (75′)                         D. Szoboszlai (80′) 

A. Tanaka (90’+6) 

Assists  

B. Aaronson (75′)                 R. Gravenberch (80′) 

Venue: Elland Road Attendance: 36,842 

Leeds United rocked Liverpool with a stoppage-time equaliser from Ao Tanaka to cap a thrilling six-goal second half at Elland Road, where the drama continued after the final whistle. 

The hosts had earlier come from two goals down to level, before Dominik Szoboszlai looked to have given Liverpool a valuable three points. 

But Japanese midfielder Tanaka came off the bench and scored in the sixth added minute, sparking jubilant scenes among the home support. 

Following a woeful run of nine defeats in 12 games, Arne Slot’s Liverpool are now unbeaten in three, but they threw away victory on a day where once again Mohamed Salah watched on from the bench. 

After the game, club legend Salah made the stunning claim to reporters that he feels as though he has been “thrown under the bus” by Liverpool and that his relationship with head coach Slot has broken down. 

It remains to be seen if his relationship with the Dutchman and the club can be repaired after such a startling revelation. 

On the pitch, a goalless first 45 minutes was unmemorable, but the game came to life when Hugo Ekitike scored two goals in three minutes to put Liverpool in control. 

They looked to have a firm grip but gave Leeds a way back into the game when Ibrahima Konate fouled Wilfried Gnonto in the box. 

Dominic Calvert-Lewin struck from the penalty spot for Daniel Farke‘s side before Anton Stach fired an equaliser in the 75th minute. 

Leeds may have sensed the game was there for the taking, but Szoboszlai finished in style five minutes later. 

Yet there was one last twist, and it came when Tanaka blasted in at the far post from a Leeds corner deep into stoppage time. 

The draw for Leeds pushes them up to 16th in the Premier League, three points clear of West Ham in 18th, while Liverpool sit eighth. 

Though it was draw at home, it was the fight back that was needed to get the point that was important, especially against a team like Liverpool. 

Also good to see that we are scoring goals, but we don’t want to be conceding so many. 

Marching On Together.   

League position 16th after 15 games. 

We were up against one of my good friend’s team Mark, who was going, I did say this should be an easier three pointer for them, as since the opening match of the season, we have struggled with our performance. 

Brighton & Hove Albion 3 – Leeds United 0 – HT 1-0 

D. Welbeck (11′) 

D. Gómez (64′, 70′) 

Assists – 

M. Wieffer (11′)

Y. Minteh (70′) 

Venue: American Express Stadium Attendance: 31,512 

Danny Welbeck scored for a third successive Premier League game as Brighton climbed into the top half of the table with a comfortable win over Leeds United. 

 The 34-year-old netted the opener for the hosts in the 11th minute, volleying home from close range to finish off a brilliant team move that involved Yankuba Minteh and Mats Wieffer. 

 It was Welbeck’s sixth goal of the season and fourth in three league games as he continued his fine recent form. 

Brighton took command after that with Diego Gomez adding two more in six second-half minutes on his return to the starting line-up to seal a dominant success for Fabian Hurzeler’s side. 

 It could have been more for the hosts as Welbeck and Minteh also went close. 

Leeds were restricted to few opportunities but threatened to restore parity seconds before the interval when midfielder Sean Longstaff had an effort blocked inside the box by Jan Paul van Hecke.

In the pouring rain at the Amex, the start of the second half was a much more open affair but Gomez’s quickfire double – his first in the Premier League since May – killed off the game as a contest.

The Paraguay midfielder first tapped in after more good work from Minteh on the right wing in the 64th minute, before driving home a cutback from ex-Leeds forward Georginio Rutter.

It was a fourth win in 10 games for Brighton, who also kept their first clean sheet of the campaign.

Leeds, who had not won at the Seagulls in the league since 2009, remain in 16th place, five points clear of the relegation zone.

Well I was right about the outcome, we are struggling a lot at the moment, scoring and defending.

We don’t want to be another one of the promoted teams to get relegated first season back, come on Leeds, your better then this.

Marching On Together.   

 League position 16th after 5 games. 

Wolverhampton Wanderers 1 Leeds United 3 – HT 1-3 

L. Krejčí (8′)                     D. Calvert-Lewin (31′) 

                                          A. Stach (39′) 

                                          N. Okafor (45′) 

Assists 

Fer López (8′)                  A. Stach (45′) 

Venue: Molineux Stadium Attendance: 30,807 

Three first-half goals helped Leeds claim their first Premier League away win of the season at the expense of Wolves, who remain rooted to the foot of the table without a point this term. 

The visitors had failed to find the net in the topflight since Lukas Nmecha‘s late penalty against Everton on 18 August, but they responded magnificently to Ladislav Krejci’s well-taken opener to claim all three points at Molineux. 

Dominic Calvert-Lewin brilliantly headed Jayden Bogle‘s deflected cross past Jose Sa to restore parity before Anton Stach‘s sweetly struck free-kick completed the turnaround eight minutes later. 

Things got even better for the visitors on the stroke of half-time when Noah Okafor collected Stach‘s pass in his stride and guided a low, left-footed shot into the far corner. 

Jorgen Strand Larsen – who signed a new five-year deal with Wolves this week – was introduced alongside Marshall Munetsi and Hugo Bueno at half-time as manager Vitor Pereira attempted to coax a response from his players, but the changes had little effect. 

Munetsi’s looping header, which was superbly tipped over the bar by Karl Darlow, was the closest the home side came to reducing the deficit in the second period. 

Wolves become only the sixth team to lose their first five games of a Premier League season while Leeds move into the top half. 

This was an important win, as we had failed to score in the previous three games. We usually do bad against teams that are struggling too. 

Every away point is a bonus in keeping us up in the premiership. 

 Marching On Together.   

 League position 11th after 5 games. 

Middle of August and the football season starting, crazy, but then there is hardly any cricket being played at the moment.

Monday night game on TV, first game back in the premiership, we need to win our home matches, so that we can stay up. 

Leeds United 1 – Everton 0 – HT 0-0 

L. Nmecha (84′ pen) 

Venue: Elland Road Attendance: 36,820 

Leeds United made a winning return to the Premier League as Lukas Nmecha‘s late penalty gave them a deserved victory against Everton at Elland Road. 

 Daniel Farke‘s side were dominant but looked like having to settle for a point until Everton captain James Tarkowski handled Anton Stach‘s shot six minutes from time. 

 Nmecha confidently dispatched the penalty to send Leeds‘ fans wild in what was a typically thunderous Yorkshire atmosphere. 

Everton’s new loan signing Jack Grealish made a 20-minute appearance as a substitute in an attempt to inject spark into a lacklustre display, with the visitors taking 53 minutes to muster a shot on target. 

Leeds looked to have run out of steam in the second half, and with Everton seemingly happy to settle for one point a raucous night threatened to fizzle out – until that late drama gave the home side all three. 

Important win to start the season and break the hoodoo of the team’s coming up, going straight back down, but a long way to go.

Marching On Together.  

League position 7th after 1 game. 

Plymouth Argyle 1 – 2 Leeds United – HT 1-0 

S. Byram (18′ og)    W. Gnonto (53′) 

M. Solomon (90’+1)

Assists 

W. Gnonto (90’+1)

Venue: Home Park – Attendance: 16,758 

Back as champions. 

Manor Solomon‘s stoppage-time winner secured Leeds United the Championship title as they won 2-1 at Plymouth Argyle, whose relegation was confirmed. 

With Burnley beating Millwall 3-1, Leeds takes the title on goal difference having secured promotion back to the Premier League last month, after two seasons away. 

Argyle took the lead when the impressive Mustapha Bundu’s shot came back off the post and went in off Sam Byram – just moments after the Plymouth forward had clipped the Leeds upright. 

Leeds, who topped the table going into the final day, were repeatedly frustrated by a dogged Plymouth side until early in the second half when Willy Gnonto fired in Solomon‘s cross. 

The visitors had a Joel Piroe goal ruled out for offside with 17 minutes to go as Daniel Farke‘s side hunted the winner they knew was required to secure the title. 

But just as it seemed they would have to settle for second place, Solomon cut in from the left and fired low into the bottom corner to send the travelling Leeds fans wild and set up a trophy lift celebration after the final whistle. 

Leeds started well as Joe Rodon and Brenden Aaronson saw efforts saved by Conor Hazard before they fell behind. 

Bundu had given Leeds a warning a minute before the goal as he beat three men before blasting an effort that grazed the outside of the post. 

When the resurgent Sierra Leone forward cut in from the left moments later, the net did bulge as his low effort came back off the far post and bounced in off a helpless Byram. 

Piroe almost equalised within a couple of minutes when he turned Jayden Bogle‘s shot over the bar from six yards as Leeds tried to restore parity quickly. 

Byram, Ao Tanaka and Willy Gnonto all had half-chances, but Leeds failed to create another really good opening before the interval. 

Well we were made to sweat, but the injury time goal gave us the title we did deserved with 100 points, the same as Burnley, but our huge goal difference was the extra point. 

Though we had this huge goal difference, I still think we need a striker who is regularly scoring goals. 

Let’s enjoy this and break the trend of teams being promoted coming straight back down. 

Marching On Together. 

League position 1st after 46 games – After 46 games last season, Leeds were 3rd