Leeds United 6 Stoke City 0: Whites on cusp of promotion and new table-topped in Potters blitz with teen debut — YEP 21/4/25
By Lee Sobot
Leeds had the chance to tee themselves up for possible
Monday night promotion against Stoke.
Leeds United now find themselves on the cusp of automatic
promotion after absolutely smashing Stoke City 5-0 in Easter Monday’s
Championship clash at Elland Road.
Incredibly, having gone nine games without scoring, Whites
striker Joel Piroe bagged four inside the game’s opening 41 minutes including a
20-minute hat-trick to send him top of the Championship top scorers table.
His side also remain top of the table that matters most and
Daniel Farke’s Whites will be promoted on Monday evening if Sheffield United
fail to win at second-placed Burnley in a 5.30pm kick-off.
In an absolute cauldron of noise, Leeds got off to a
brilliant start as a strong tackle by Ilia Gruev paved the way for Joel Piroe
to net a sixth-minute opener.
As Stoke got themselves in bother on the edge of the Leeds
box, Willy Gnonto played in Manor Solomon who supplied a pinpoint cutback to
Piroe and the Dutchman applied a clinical first-time low finish to send Elland
Road wild.
But even wilder scenes followed just two minutes later as
Piroe quickly doubled his tally in very similar fashion, this time from a low
Jayden Bogle.
More energetic pressing proved the key as Bogle stole the
ball down the right and made his way into the box before producing a similar
cutback to Solomon's, from which Piroe applied a similarly clinical low finish
to spark almost unbelievable celebrations.
Stoke were 2-0 down inside eight minutes and the Potters
tried to respond but just couldn't although Whites boss Daniel Farke was left
fuming when referee Darren Bond booked Ethan Ampadu for a challenge on the
touchline.
But more Whites celebrations quickly followed as Piroe
incredibly netted again to wrap up a hat-trick with just 20 minutes on the
clock.
This time Willy Gnonto was the provider, the Italian getting
a second bite at a cross from the right which found Piroe who was in no mood to
miss, the Dutchman stabbing the ball into the roof of the net to complete a
three goal inside 20 minutes having gone nine games without getting one.
Stoke were getting walloped and it then got even worse for
them as brilliant work from Bogle led to Junior Firpo bagging a fourth Whites
goal with just 26 minutes on the clock.
Bogle, who looked a man on a mission, burst into the box
from the right, skinning his man before sending in a low cross towards Firpo
who managed to apply a looping finish into the back of the net.
After a brief period of Whites relent, Leeds squandered a
fine chance to bag a fifth as Gnonto got the byline before sending in a low
cross which flew through the area and only needed a touch to finish.
Firpo then got in down the left but saw his shot deflected
behind for a corner from which Gnonto was only denied by a smart save from
Viktor Johansson which kept out his half volley that was destined for the
bottom left corner.
But a fifth Whites goal looked imminent and it duly arrived
in the 41st minute as Piroe sensationally bagged his fourth after superb work
from Bogle.
This time the right back took down a cross from Gruev in one
neat movement and rifled in a rocket of a shot which smashed back off the post
and hit Piroe in the face.
Piroe, though, was still able to recover and get a shot away
which trickled into the bottom left corner, Brenden Aaronson narrowly failing
to get a touch on the ball as it crossed the line.
Leeds were 5-0 up after 41 minutes and chants of "we
want six" echoed from the terraces as four minutes of added time were
announced.
Instead, Stoke went close to bagging the game's sixth goal
from a rare break as Bae Jun-Ho unleashed a decent low drive which flew just
wide of the left hand post.
But the contest was already clearly done and Leeds left the
pitch at the half-time break to a standing ovation and huge cheers with the
club on the cusp of a Premier League return.
Potters boss Mark Robins not surprisingly made changes
during the break - three of them - and his team fashioned a good chance within
one minute of the restart as Ali Al-Hamadi got into the box but only to fire a
low shot into the side netting.
Leeds were soon back threatening and Johansson fumbled away
a Solomon drive before Bogle lashed an attempt over the bar on the follow up.
But Farke's side ensured Stoke were hit for six with less
than 60 minutes on the clock as Gnonto got in on the act with a fine headed
goal from a Solomon cross.
Stoke cleared a Leeds attack but Aaronson received the loose
ball and fed Solomon who delivered a swirling cross into the mixer and Gnonto
showed great movement to get himself to the ball and head home a close-range
finish.
It proved Gnonto's last meaningful act, the Italian and
four-goal hero Piroe taken off to standing ovations in the 66th minute as
Largie Ramazani and Patrick Bamford were introduced.
Another Leeds chance was created just one minute later as
Solomon played in Piroe whose low shot was turned behind for a corner by
Johannson at full stretch.
Another double change followed with 13 minutes left as the
brilliant Bogle and Firpo were were taken off for Sam Byram and Isaac Schmidt.
Stoke finally fired in another effort at goal a few minutes
later but Tatsuki Seko's strike from range flew over the bar.
With the result long since beyond doubt, the only
imponderable concerned whether Farke would hand a debut to 16-year-old Harry
Gray who had been named on the bench for the first time.