Leeds United 4 Norwich City 0 (4-0 on aggregate): The real Leeds are heading to Wembley after rediscovering their mojo — Yorkshire Post 16/5/24

By Stuart Rayner

Leeds United are heading to Wembley for the Championship play-off final. The real Leeds United.

Last seen calmly cruising towards automatic promotion before March's international break, they mysteriously disappeared in the Championship run-in, only to unexpectedly and gloriously return at Elland Road on Thursday night.

For all the reasons the history books can throw at the Whites to be jittery about playing at Wembley – they last won there in in the days of the Charity Shield and twin towers – in a competition they have never won, the present is far more important.

And Leeds can head south full of confidence having rediscovered their mojo at a pumped-up Elland Road, back to being a fortress after Blackburn Rovers and Southampton stormed it late season.

Leeds blew Norwich away with two goals inside the first 20 minutes and another before half-time.

It was 4-0 when they gave their forward line a rest with more than 15 minutes to play, the job well and truly done. Fortunately for Norwich, that was where their punishment stopped.

Given Leeds' terrible play-off history – no wins in finals, none at home since 1987 – there was pre-match trepidation about whether a first-leg 0-0 draw in Norfolk was such a good thing after all.

But when the players emerged from the tunnel, it was to a stadium brimming with positivity, every home fan seemingly holding aloft the scarf they found when they got to their seat, thrusting it forward every time they yelled "Leeds" in a raucous rendition of Marching on Together.

It could have terrified the home players but it only seemed to have that effect on the away team. Leeds were inspired.

Four minutes in, Georginio Rutter – returned to the hole after an unsuccessful stint leading the line at the weekend – was back to the form he showed before hernia surgery in March, impudently flicking the ball down the line for Crysencio Summerville to chase.

With the winger unable to keep his shot down, it came to nothing, but it inspired confidence.

So did Angus Gunn's hesitancy a minute later when the ball was played over the top to Joel Piroe, trusted with the No 9 job this time. The goalkeeper eventually came out to collect.

And it was a Gunn mistake that opened the door for Leeds.

Joe Rodon came out of defence to win the ball back and a free-kick and with Gunn too far across the goal with only a two-man wall protecting his near post, Ilia Gruev cleverly curled the free-kick inside it for his first goal in white.

It was two inside 20 minutes, Willy Gnonto playing a deep cross, Gunn deciding against coming for it and Piroe heading in at the far post.

It felt like Elland Road was as loud as it could be but when Ilian Meslier came off his line to save one-on-one after Josh Sargent beat Ethan Ampadu, it found another level. Then another when the corner was headed away.

In such a febrile atmosphere, no one dared rest on their laurels. Played in by Glen Kamara, Summerville won a corner. Rodon won his header from another but failed to get it on target. Yes, this was definitely the proper Leeds.

Archie Gray, moved from No 10 in the first leg to right-back in the second, swept up defensively and carried the ball out of defensive with elegance and determination.

And before the half-time oranges, Rutter got the goal he so badly needed, Piroe turning and accelerating down the line, Summerville helping the ball across whilst on his backside and the Frenchman hammering in off the crossbar.

Forty minutes in and 3-0 up at home. If it had not been a play-off you would say it was impossible to lose. Dimitrios Giannoulis had to clear a goalbound Rutter effort in first-half stoppage time, and Gnonto twice hit shots at Gunn when clean through.

Leeds kept their foot down at the start of the second half, Gunn saving from Piroe, Summerville heading over, then being denied twice by the keeper.

Kenny McLean's shot at the other end went out for a throw-in.

Summerville made it four after 69 minutes, carrying the ball forward and slipping it to Gnonto. Gunn saved again, but could not stop Junior Firpo latching onto the rebound and touching it back for Summerville to find the net.

Summerville, Ruter and Piroe joined Gnonto in taking a rest and the last substitutions played to the gallery, David Wagner removing Ashley Barnes as the crowd targeted him for abuse and Liam Cooper coming on for a cameo.

It was a night that could scarcely have gone better. But it can only be the start.