Leeds strengthened their grip on Premier League survival with a 3-1 win over already-relegated Burnley at Elland Road, stretching the gap from the drop to nine points and taking a major stride towards safety.
Burnley, who are without a manager after Scott Parker’s departure earlier this week, have three matches left in a difficult season; bottom-side Wolves sit three points behind them in the table. Leeds, meanwhile, are unbeaten in six and can finally look up the table after a tense campaign.
Anton Stach opened the scoring with a superb long-range strike that beat Martin Dúbravka and set the tone. Leeds’ intensity only grew in the second half, and Noah Okafor finished a sweeping team move to extinguish Burnley’s resistance. Four minutes later Dominic Calvert-Lewin turned in the rebound from a sharp Ao Tanaka effort to all but seal the victory.
Burnley did temper the scoreline late on when Loum Tchaouna struck, but by then the visitors had shown too little to trouble a determined Leeds side. Burnley were brighter after the break, yet could not match Leeds’ energy or cohesion.
The result lifts Leeds above Newcastle and level on 43 points with Crystal Palace in 13th — historically a total that has kept teams safe — a tribute to Daniel Farke’s turnaround this season.
Anton Stach continued his impressive form. Four of his five Premier League goals have come from outside the box, the most long-range strikes by any player this term. Despite playing just 72 minutes after returning from injury, Stach created the most chances in the game (3), had the joint-most touches in the opposition box (5) and took the most shots (5). His versatility with both feet, from open play and set pieces, has made an £18m signing look increasingly astute. Only Bruno Fernandes has created more chances than Stach in the Premier League this season.
Selected player ratings
Leeds: Darlow 6, Struijk 6, Bijol 7, Rodon 6, Justin 7, Bogle 7, Tanaka 6, Ampadu 7, Stach 8, Okafor 7, Calvert-Lewin 7. Subs: Nmecha 6, Aaronson 6, Longstaff 6, James n/a, Gnonto n/a.
Burnley: Dúbravka 5, Walker 5, Ekdal 6, Esteve 6, Humphreys 5, Hartman 5, Tchaouna 7, Laurent 6, Ward-Prowse 6, Anthony 6, Flemming 5. Subs: Hannibal 5, Pires 5, Luis 5, Amdouni n/a, Broja n/a.
Player of the Match: Anton Stach.
Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp praised both Stach and Farke, calling Stach one of the signings of the season and applauding the club’s decision to back their manager when the pressure was on. Redknapp suggested the continuity and connection with fans have been crucial to Leeds’ revival and raised questions about further investment to build on this platform next season.
Daniel Farke emphasised togetherness and the significance of the three points. He highlighted the physical and mental load of recent fixtures and praised his squad for delivering in a nervy period. Farke acknowledged the job is not finished and said the team will celebrate properly only when safety is mathematically secured, but called 43 points a strong position.
Captain Ethan Ampadu described the victory as sweet revenge, noting Leeds had not beaten Burnley in recent seasons and were determined to give the fans something to enjoy. He praised Farke for instilling confidence and freedom within a structured system and said the squad will aim to take three more positive results from their remaining fixtures.
What’s next
Leeds have three matches left as they look to confirm Premier League safety. Burnley, meanwhile, head into the final games of a relegation-hit season hoping to finish on a brighter note.