Regardless of what happens at Burnley on Monday evening, this was a promotion party at Elland Road and it is now simply a case of when rather than if Leeds United will confirm automatic promotion to the Premier League. The Promised Land awaits.
Leedsput themselves on the brink of promotion back to the Premier Leagueafter a stunning 6-0 win over Stoke City at Elland Road, with Joel Piroe scoring four goals in the first half.
Daniel Farke’s side played with joy and put on an exhibition for the packed out crowd, who were never going to stop the West Yorkshire rain from putting a dampener on their big day. Their team weren’t either. By half-time, they were five goals up, with four courtesy of Piroe, who scored the quickest hat-trick in Leeds’ history. It ended six-nil but in reality, it could have been even more.
Leeds now require just two points from their remaining two matches of the season to seal promotion. But the party could start even earlier if Sheffield Unitedfail to beat Burnleyon Monday evening.
Mark Robins’ Stoke City were abysmal and at times, the architects of their own downfall as they tried to play out against a Leeds side whose intensity was too much. Stoke came into this game unbeaten in four but they were demolished by a rampant Leeds.
As early as the sixth minute came the chant of ‘Leeds are going up’ and by the time Piroe completed a 14-minute hat-trick in the 20th minute, the game was as good as done.
Leeds are on the brink of promotion to Premier League after a stunning 6-0 win against Stoke
Daniel’s Farke’s side will be promoted if Sheffield United fail to beat Burnley later in the day
Spirits were high at Elland Road as fans celebrated the 6-0 triumph – and impending promotion
‘No Piroe, no party’ was next on the list for the jubilant Leeds fans and the party continued as Junior Firpo made it four before the half-hour mark before Piroe added his fourth just before half-time.
Jayden Bogle, signed from Sheffield United last season, was a class apart at right-back and so pivotal to everything Leeds did. He is perhaps the Championship signing of the season and ultimately The Blades’ loss is Leeds’ gain.
A run of just one win in six games had put Leeds out of the top two at the start of April but since then, they have won four on the trot and no can dispute that they deserve to go up.
With 89 goals in 44 Championship games, they are the entertainers and now look all but set to join Marcelo Bielsa’s side of 2019-20 as just the second Leeds team to secure promotion to the Premier League.
Pre-match, Farke had called on everyone from the stewards to the groundsmen to be in full voice as Leeds had ‘the chance to create something really special’ and achieve promotion to the Premier League for the first time with supporters – when they went up in 2020, it was during the pandemic.
It took just six minutes for Leeds to settle any early nerves as Stoke lost possession and Wilfried Gnonto found Manor Solomon, who teed up Piroe to finish with his left-foot past Viktor Johannsson.
Two minutes later, Leeds doubled their lead as Bogle won the ball and squared to Piroe, who this time finished with his weaker right-foot.
In the 20th minute, Gnonto’s effort was saved by Johansson but Piroe was on hand to finish and get his first Leeds hat-trick, after going nine games without a goal.
The supporters have had plenty to cheer about this season, having won an impressive 27 times
Joel Piroe scored four goals in the first half as Leeds ran riot against the Potters on Monday
Regardless of what happens at Burnley, there was a promotion party atmosphere at the game
By now, Stoke looked clueless. Six minutes later, Bogle crossed for Firpo, who nudged into the net with his right foot and four minutes before the break, Piroe bundled in his fourth and Leeds’ fifth after Bogle had hit the crossbar. The Dutch forward is now the Championship top-scorer.
Robins made three changes at half-time in a bid to stop the bleeding but their resistance lasted just 14 minutes as Gnonto headed in from Solomon’s cross to make it six.
‘We’re gonna win the league’ chanted the Leeds fans, who then sang the name of 16-year-old Harry Gray, brother of Archie, who was on the bench and of course, part of a family synonymous with this football club.
Farke duly obliged, introducing the forward in the 85th minute for his Leeds debut.
‘If Harry scores, we’re on the p*ss,’ sang the home fans. He didn’t and his time will surely come but this was a day of celebration for anyone associated with Leeds United. They aren’t just marching on together. They are charging towards the Premier League.