Leeds United 3 Wolves 0: New rivals in sight after huge boost with star back from injury and amazing finish — YEP 18/4/26

By Lee Sobot

Leeds United knew victory against Wolves at Elland Road would take them nine points clear of the Premier League relegation zone.

Leeds United gave their quest for Premier League survival another massive boost with a 3-0 win at home to Saturday’s visitors Wolves which booted the Whites further clear of the drop zone and brought new rivals into view.

Five days on from Monday night’s brilliant 2-1 win at Manchester United, Noah Okafor continued his stellar recent run with another goal and assist - the winger setting up James Justin to score the game’s opening goal with an amazing finish overhead kick.

Daniel Farke’s Whites took a 2-0 lead into the break and the second half became a bit of a non-event until finally livening up towards the closing stages, Leeds making absolutely sure of victory as Dominic Calvert-Lewin thumped home a 95th-minute penalty awarded for a foul on the Whites no 9.

The victory took Leeds up to 39 points with five games remaining, nine points clear of the dropzone ahead of third-bottom Tottenham Hotspur’s hosting of Brighton in a 5.30pm kick-off.

But looking at the table in the other direction, the win also took Farke’s side to within three points of Newcastle United who suffered another defeat through a 2-1 loss at home to United’s next hosts Bournemouth.

Icing on cake as star returns from injury

As part of an excellent day all round for Leeds, centre-back Joe Rodon also returned from injury earlier than expected as a late substitute, just two weeks after the ankle injury suffered in the FA Cup clash at West Ham which was expected to keep him out until May.

Leeds made a ferocious start and went very close to going ahead inside the opening minute, Noah Okafor in on goal down the left and crossing for Dominic Calvert-Lewin whose low shot was saved by keeper Dan Bentley.

Leeds, though, continued to threaten regularly and Daniel Farke's Whites went ahead in the 18th minute through a brilliant James Justin finish from an Ao Tanaka corner.

Wolves got in a mess trying to clear in a crowded box and Okafor hooked the ball back into the middle towards Justin who produced a superb overhead kick finish to fire his side ahead.

Wolves had threatened in patches and Rob Edwards' side immediately looked to respond but in doing so they left themselves open again and it led to United doubling their advantage through Okafor just two minutes later.

A slip allowed Brenden Aaronson in down the right and the American produced a brilliant pass right through the area to which in-form Okafor arrived to at the far post before applying a simple but clinical finish.

Striker heads off the line

Leeds quickly pushed for a third and Wolves looked to be hanging on to avoid a hiding though the visitors did again begin to threaten themselves and Calvert-Lewin was in the right place to clear a header from Ladislav Krejci off the line from a corner.

Wolves again asked a few questions after the break, Calvert-Lewin heading another ball into the box clear as part of a slow start to the second half from Farke’s side.

A fine run from Aaronson past several players into the box picked things up a bit, Leeds then winning a corner from which Ethan Ampadu hooked a shot over the bar.

But Wolves were still getting forward, Mateus Mane getting to the byline and sending a dangerous ball into the box that was cleared for a corner.

From that corner, a flicked Krejci header was flying into the top left corner but Darlow somehow produced an amazing save, flying through the air and tipping the ball over the bar with a one handed save.

With Leeds running out of steam a bit, Okafor was substituted in the 67th minute as Willy Gnonto was brought on but Wolves threatened again, Gomes in down the left but firing wide.

After a foul from Krejci, a frustrated Aaronson was booked for pushing the Wolves player in the back to the ground.

When play resumed, the free-kick into the box presented a chance for Jaka Bijol whose header was cleared for a corner.

Farke made another change shortly afterwards as Aaronson was replaced by Ilia Gruev as the game neared the 80 minute marker.

Huge cheers greet unusual change

A more unusual change then followed as one of the assistant referees was substituted for the fourth official, the announcement of which brought huge cheers from the Elland Road crowd.

When play finally resumed, Wolves looked to have pulled a goal back through a brilliant chipped finish from Armstrong but the Wolves striker was just about offside.

In a rare moment of second half quality, Leeds almost bagged a third goal as a Bogle ball into the box was played into Pascal Struijk by a Gnonto flick, Struijk dragging his shot just wide of the post.

Ten minutes of added time were then announced, mainly for the assistant referee change yet those added minutes led to Leeds bagging a third goal and making absolutely sure of victory.

Tanaka’s pass sent Gnonto away down the left and the Italian squared for Calvert-Lewin who was bundled over for a clear penalty.

Calvert-Lewin stepped up to take the spot kick himself and smashed home a clinical finish, after which another Leeds boost presented itself as Joe Rodon returned from injury as one of three late changes from the bench.