Leeds United took a step closer to the Premier League on Thursday night as they put five goals past Stoke City without reply.
Goals from Mateusz Klich, Helder Costa, Liam Cooper, Pablo Hernandez and Patrick Bamford gave Leeds the comfortable win although the Whites had to wait until just before half time to gain the lead.
The three points took Marcelo Bielsa’s men back to the top of the Championship, with Leeds leapfrogging West Brom at the top of the table.
It also means that the Whites need just seven points from their final four league games to secure their place back in the top division for the first time since 2004.
With Leeds 3-0 up midway through the second half, any tension that may have been there at the start of the game was well and truly gone, allowing the players to express themselves on the pitch.
According to Opta , the move for the Whites’ fourth goal against the Potters, which Pablo Hernandez finished, contained 30 consecutive passes, with the buildup starting in the backline.
That number of passes is the most in the build-up to a goal in the Championship so far this season and could be proof that Leeds are now ready to make the step up after a 16-year wait.
The Whites are back in action on Sunday when they take on Swansea City at the Liberty Stadium.
