Leeds United 3 Chelsea 1: Elland Road ecstasy and thunderbolt as stars shine to spark huge Whites change — YEP 3/12/25

By Lee Sobot

Leeds United took on title-chasing Chelsea under the Elland Road lights.

Leeds United put a huge dent in Chelsea’s title challenge and took themselves out of the Premier League dropzone by sending Elland Road wild with a brilliant 3-1 win against the Blues.

Leeds made a very bright start, quickly pushing Chelsea back and peppering the Blues box, one effort from Anton Stach blocked and another deflected behind for a corner.

The Blues were under the pump and the Whites went ahead from the following corner, Jaka Bijol flying through the area and powering a header past keeper Robert Sanchez with just six minutes on the clock.

Chelsea's response was limited, a terrific tackle from Whites captain Ethan Ampadu keeping the pressure on and setting the tone for a physical Whites.

Leeds then survived a moment of panic in the 15th minute as keeper Lucas Perri failed to deal with a deflected Enzo Fernandez cross into the box but Joao Pedro was unable to capitalise and Leeds cleared their lines.

Moments later, the Whites were inches away from going 2-0 up from another corner, this time Pascal Struijk getting free but the centre-back sending his header just wide of the right hand post.

Reprieved by a golden chance going begging, Chelsea looked to respond but another Leeds opportunity came and went shortly afterwards as Dominic Calvert-Lewin latched on to a Jayden Bogle pass but sent a cross wide.

Moments later, a driving run from Stach ended with a square ball to Ao Tanaka who dragged his low shot wide from the edge of the box.

Back came Chelsea with their first real attempt at goal from Estevao whose curled attempt from the edge of the box was deflected behind for a corner.

From the cleared corner, fierce strikes from Estevao and then Jamie Gittens were both blocked before Leeds cleared.

The Whites continued to put themselves about, so much so that Bijol and Ethan Ampadu collided with each other, Ampadu going down injured and holding his knee but able to continue.

The impressive Stach then almost made the most of an interception on halfway, driving forwards to the edge of the box and seeing his low shot deflected behind for another Whites corner.

One minute later, Stach was then booked for a sliding challenge on Marc Cucurella on the touchline and Chelsea created their best chance yet a few minutes later as a lovely ball from Joao Pedro played in Liam Delap.

Delap made his way into the area but under pressure from Pascal Struijk whose excellent sliding challenge saved the day and allowed keeper Lucas Perri to gather.

A flashpoint then occurred a couple of minutes later as Estevao kicked the back of Gabriel Gudmundsson and was duly booked as the crowd called for a red.

But that was soon forgotten about two minutes later as Leeds doubled their advantage in superb fashion through Ao Tanaka who whipped home a terrific strike from the edge of the box after a Lukas Nmecha interception and Bogle lay off.

Leeds had been superb, Chelsea given three minutes of added time to try and find a way back but the half ending with Leeds attacking for a third and the Whites given a standing ovation as a brilliant opening 45 minutes for them was brought to a close.

Blues boss Enzo Maresca made a double change during the interval and his side started the second half brightly but with Leeds holding firm.

At the other end, the Whites then went mightily close to bagging a third goal as a brilliant cross from Stach picked out Nmecha whose attempt at a first time finish from the middle of the box was well saved by Sanchez.

Calvert-Lewin was just unable to reach the rebound but Calvert-Lewin then fired in a spectacular attempt himself with an overhead kick from a long throw which went over the bar.

Chelsea, though, pulled a goal back a couple of minutes later as Cucurella helped play in Gittens down the left, Gittens sending in a low cross which reached substitute Pedro Neto who netted at the opposite post.

The Blues quickly pressed for an equaliser and Pedro slipped in Delap who was in on goal at an angle and could only slam a low shot into the side netting.

In a frantic game, Elland Road then erupted at what United’s fans thought was a third Leeds goal for Nmecha after another cross into the area but Calvert-Lewin was offside in the build up.

Back came Chelsea, Delap whacking a shot over from the edge of the box, after which Maresca made another double change as Cole Palmer and Alejandro Garnacho were introduced.

Farke followed with a double change of his own, excellent duo Tanaka and Nmecha withdrawn as Ilia Gruev and Noah Okafor were brought on with 25 minutes still left.

A huge Chelsea chance was then wasted for a player of Palmer’s calibre, the England star picked out by a Garnacho pullback from the byline but only able to slam a low effort wide from the edge of the box.

It looked highly likely that the Blues would get the next goal of the game but instead superb pressing from Leeds substitute Okafor led to United going 3-1 up with 72 minutes on the clock.

Blues defender Tosin Adarabioyo was too casual in playing a square ball back pass to keeper Sanchez and Okafor stormed in to get there first, his touch allowing the ball to fall to Calvert-Lewin who applied a close range finish to send Elland Road wild.

Even then Leeds continued to press for a fourth, Bogle storming to the byline before sending a cross over before a Whites counter ended with Gabriel Gudmundsson firing over from a tight angle after Okafor’s lay-off.

Nevertheless, there was still time for Chelsea to get back into it and there were nervy moments as a cross from the left flew through the box before being cleared. Another cross then picked out final Blues sub Marc Guiu who could only send his header over the bar.

The Blues were then given six minutes of added time as Neto stepped up to take a corner but there huge cheers inside Elland Road as the cleared corner fell to Enzo Fernandez who sent his shot into orbit.

It proved Chelsea’s last chance, the biggest cheer of the night greeting the full-time whistle after a brilliant win which sparked the huge change of taking Farke’s men out of the relegation zone.