Tag: Leeds United

Leeds United all but secured their place in the Premier League next season with a 3-1 win over already-relegated Burnley on Friday.

Goals from Anton Stach, Noah Okafor and Dominic Calvert-Lewin took Daniel Farke’s side nine points clear of the relegation zone with just four games remaining for those below them.

Leeds failed to reach their first FA Cup final since 1973 in a 1-0 defeat to Chelsea at Wembley last weekend.

But they are now up to 14th in an impressive first season back in the top flight, along with Sunderland, bucking the trend of promoted sides falling straight back to the second tier.

“The three points are massive for us,” said Farke. “The job is not done yet. We will celebrate properly when it’s mathematically done. But 43 points is good.”

Staying up would also be huge for Farke in his bid to silence his doubters at the Premier League level.

Twice, the German led Norwich to the English top-flight but was unable to keep the Canaries in the top flight.

“Of course, it was a massive step for us tonight,” he added. “To deliver 10 points out of the last four games in a nervy period, as a newly-promoted side, is second to none.”

Burnley were only pipped to the Championship title by Leeds United on goal difference last season.

But the Clarets have struggled much more with the step up, as they have been relegated for the third time in as many seasons in the Premier League.

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Burnley parted company with manager Scott Parker on Thursday despite his exceptional record of achieving promotion from the Championship with three different clubs.

The difference in what was at stake for both clubs was clear in the opening stages as Leeds burst out of the blocks.

Stach fired the home side in front after just eight minutes as Martin Dubravka got down slowly to the German’s low drive.

Leeds dominated the rest of the first half but had to wait for a two-goal burst in four minutes just after the break to seal the points.

A brilliant move was finished off by Okafor after Calvert-Lewin’s backheel picked out Jayden Bogle.

The Swiss forward has scored six goals in his last seven league games to see Leeds over the line in the relegation battle.

But it was Calvert-Lewin’s goals that kept his side afloat earlier in the campaign.

The England striker prodded home his 13th goal of the season from close range after Dubravka could only parry Ao Tanaka’s strike.

Burnley salvaged some pride from Mike Jackson’s first match in interim charge when Loum Tchaouna blasted in a late consolation.

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Mohammed Kudus’ first Tottenham goal lifted Spurs up to second in the Premier League by ending Leeds United long unbeaten home run with a 2-1 win on Saturday.

Noah Okafor cancelled out Mathys Tel’s opener for the visitors in a first half that raged from end to end.

Kudus grabbed the winner just before the hour mark, and Tottenham had to show their newfound defensive resolve under Thomas Frank to inflict Leeds’ first league defeat at Elland Road for 24 games.

Spurs close to within one point of leaders Liverpool, but Arsenal can go top later on Saturday when they host West Ham.

Tottenham needed late fightbacks to avoid defeat against bottom-of-the-table Wolves and Champions League debutants Bodo/Glimt over the past week.

Frank made six changes to the side that started in the Arctic Circle on Tuesday and was rewarded with a far more purposeful performance from the visitors.

But Leeds will rue their missed chances to avoid a first league defeat at Elland Road since losing to Burnley in September 2024.

Joe Rodon should have put the home side in front when he headed Sean Longstaff’s free-kick off the post on seven minutes.

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Tel was left out of Spurs’ Champions League squad after struggling to make an impression since making his move from Bayern Munich a permanent one in the transfer window.

The Frenchman was handed a rare chance to start in the middle of a front three and made it count with his first goal of the season.

Tel was played in by Kudus and his powerful shot deflected off Pascal Struijk to leave Karl Darlow helpless.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin blazed a glorious chance to level wide before Kudus did the same at the other end as a slick Spurs counter-attack cut Leeds open.

However, Daniel Farke’s men were well worthy of being at least level at the break.

Tottenham goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario should have done better as he could only parry Brenden Aaronson’s shot back into the path of Okafor, who tapped in to an empty net for his second Leeds goal.

Tel came close to his second with a looping header that hit the crossbar in first-half stoppage time.

The second half started in a similar end-to-end fashion as Vicario denied Calvert-Lewin with his feet.

Kudus then produced the match-winning moment with a surging run infield before unleashing another powerful shot that deceived Darlow via a deflection off Gabriel Gudmundsson.

Last season, Tottenham lost more points from winning positions than any other side in the Premier League on their way to finishing just above the relegation zone in 17th.

Frank has so far stamped out that habit as Spurs are yet to drop points after taking the lead in a match.

The visitors had to survive a scare deep into stoppage time when Vicario redeemed himself with a fine save low to his left from Joel Piroe.

Defeat leaves Leeds in 12th with eight points from their first seven games.

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LONDON: Leeds United on Sunday sacked manager Marcelo Bielsa following a poor run of results that has left the Premier League side teetering just two points above the relegation zone.

Saturday’s dispiriting 4-0 loss to Tottenham at Elland Road was their fourth straight defeat, a run during which their leaky defense has conceded 17 goals.

The 66-year-old Argentine remained convinced he could turn things around but the Leeds board decided they had to act to preserve their top-flight status.

The club intends to make an announcement regarding Bielsa’s successor on Monday, with former RB Leipzig and RB Salzburg boss Jesse Marsch the heavy favorite to take over.

Chairman Andrea Radrizzani said he was forced to act due to the club’s “precarious position” in the Premier League, saying it had been the toughest decision of his tenure at Leeds.

“With Marcelo as our head coach, we had three incredible campaigns and the good times returned to Elland Road,” he said. “He changed the culture of the club and brought a winning mentality to us all.

“The moments created, particularly in the 2019/20 season and winning promotion to the Premier League, will, of course, live long in all our memories, [I] and the fans included.

“However, I have to act in the best interest of the club and I believe a change is required now in order to secure our Premier League status.”

Bielsa, who took charge in 2018 and returned the club to the English top-flight two years later, is revered in Leeds.

Murals of the mercurial Argentine adorn walls around the northern city and the club’s Elland Road stadium.

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