Leeds United 3 Burnley 1: Second-half burst more or less seals it — the Whites are staying up in the Premier League — Yorkshire Post 1/5/26

By Stuart Rayner

Two goals in four second-half minutes was all it took for Leeds United to ensure that a season's hard work will not go to waste. The maths still need to be officially signed off, but the Whites are surely staying up in the Premier League.

They controlled their game against already-relegated Burnley from Anton Stach's eighth-minute goal, arguably before, but it took goals from Noah Okafor and Dominic Calvert-Lewin to put the result beyond doubt.

Loun Tachaouna smudged the sheen by reducing the scoreline to 3-1, but it mattered little.

To see the gulf between the sides, it was hard to fathom that they were level on 100 points each in last season's Championship, Leeds have kicked on with considerable but shrewd investment and positivity, rather than the recklessness Vincent Kompany showed in Burnley's last season-long loan in the top flight. This Turf Moor iteration is devoid of ambition and now have less than half the points of their Roses rivals, who moved to 43.

Only Sheffield Wednesday, in 1990, have been relegated from the top division with that many points from a 38-game season. Tottenham Hotspur, Leeds' next opponents, need to win three of their remaining four games just to catch up.

If Spurs lose at Aston Villa on Sunday, Leeds can sign, seal and deliver it at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium a week on Monday.

Meanwhile, Daniel Farke's men are now above Saudi-owned Newcastle United and putting pressure on Crystal Palace ahead of their weekend games against teams chasing European places.

They needed an early goal against a Burnley side who showed none of the freedom of a team already relegated from the Premier League, but it did little to entice the visitors out of their rigid shape.

Under the caretaker control of Michael Jackson, the Clarets were bad but certainly not thrillers.

Into the side for Brenden Aaronson, Stach was in inspired form, and it was he who broke the deadlock in the eighth minute, taking a pass from Jaka Bijol in the centre circle and shooting from a distance Martin Dubravka ought to have been comfortable with. The goalkeeper had a clear view of the ball from the moment it left the German's foot, but was surprisingly slow in getting over to his left-hand post.

Two minutes later Stach curled a free-kick over.

From there, Leeds spent the rest of the first half knocking at the door, rather than trying to bang it down.

Stach was alert to win the ball of former Leeds loanee Jaidon Antony, but Ethan Amapdu's shot was blocked, and Ao Tanaka ballooned the follow-up.

A minute later Tanaka put his team in trouble, slipping as he passed on a ball given to him in his penalty area by Karl Dalow with his back to goal - it is the modern way, don't you know? - but redeemed himself by getting across to win it back.

Stach won a second ball in the 22nd minute and, after a bit of scramble in front of him, had a shot deflected behind for a corner before the game got bitty, Sheffield referee Thomas Bramall flashing his cards after losing patience with Burnley's physical approach and feeling the heat from a crowd miffed about it.

Leeds finished the half strongly, James Justin forcing a save when a Noah Okafor cross was kicked against him, and Ampadu seeing a shot blocked after a lovely touch and turn from Tanaka's pass.

Burnley's haplessness was highlighted by Antony heading an effort into the back of Zian Flemming, then Dubravka spilling a fairly routine Justin shot at him. In his defence, he quickly recovered it.

James Ward-Prowse started the second half with a shot which came off Tanaka's back to make life very comfortable for Darlow.

But Leeds soon took over again, Stach's goalbound shot cut out by a defender.

It was a very temporary setback, Calvert-Lewin backheeling into the path of Jayden Bogle. The cross was behind Okafor but it did not matter in the form he is in. He volleyed in anyway.

Importantly, Leeds pounced again, and with 56 minutes gone, the game was over.

Calvert-Lewin helped himself to a first open-play goal since February, following in - with Jaka Bijol - when Tanaka's shot from outside the area was saved.

The job done, Leeds eased up and got sloppy.

Lucas Pires' goal was ruled out for offside, but only confirmed after a lengthy check by video assistant referee Jared Gillett, and soon after Tchouna legitimately found the net after bundling his way past Pascal Struijk. Antony shot over deep in stoppage time.

Joe Rodon leapt brilliantly at a corner but headed at Dubravka, who denied substitute Daniel James bursting through in the dying embers.

But there was no denying a Leeds team who have been ahead of the survival game for almost the whole season their due rewards.

Now, as Burnley plan their latest rebuild, they can plot how to kick on.