With relegation already confirmed, Burnley were playing to salvage some pride, but their start looked nothing like that of a side looking to save face.
The Clarets were on the back foot from the get-go and duly fell behind in poor fashion when Anton Stach’s effort from distance looked tame, but it somehow beat Martin Dubravka at his near post and put Leeds in front.
Stach was involved soon after as the Whites almost made it two, as this time he elected to tee up Ao Tanaka, who blazed over the bar, and he ought to have seen his misery compounded moments later when he slipped in his own area, only for Jaidon Anthony to let him off the hook.
It felt like the only way Burnley were going to get into the game was through a Leeds error, and although they did end up growing into the half, they never once looked like threatening Karl Darlow’s goal.
Mike Jackson’s men were at sixes and sevens in the first half, which ended without them having a single shot on target. The lowest xG ever recorded in the PL is 0.02, and with Burnley’s sitting at 0.05 at the break, that was a slice of unwanted history they barely managed to avoid in an otherwise dour half of football.
Such lacklustre attacking form meant a second Leeds goal was always likely to end the game as a contest, and that duly arrived within 10 minutes of the restart.
Leeds flew out of the traps in the second half, and a sweeping move ended with Jayden Bogle planting a perfect cross onto the boot of Noah Okafor, who directed back across goal and into the corner.
A swift third goal placed the game beyond any reasonable doubt, with Tanaka’s wicked drive from distance fumbled into the path of Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who managed to bundle the ball over the line from inside the six-yard box.
Burnley did at least show some character to get back into the game, having a goal disallowed from Lucas Pires, who bundled home after Bashir Humphreys’ initial effort was saved.
Loum Tchaouna then finally got one that counted when he hammered home from inside the area.
That didn’t serve as anything more than a consolation, as the night belonged to a Leeds side who moved nine points clear of the drop zone and to almost definite safety with just three games remaining.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Anton Stach (Leeds)
Key stats
- Leeds have scored 24 first-half goals in 35 games; only Manchester City (37) and Arsenal (25) have scored more in the Premier League this season.
- Dominic Calvert-Lewin has now scored 12 goals in the Premier League this season, more than any other Leeds player.
- Loum Tchaouna has now scored two goals in two appearances in the Premier League against Leeds.