Leeds bounced back from their Wembley disappointment by beating already-relegated Burnley 3-1 at Elland Road to take another giant step towards Premier League safety.
Daniel Farke’s side, who lost 1-0 in the FA Cup semi-final to Chelsea last Sunday, took an early lead through Anton Stach’s superb long-range strike before second-half efforts from Noah Okafor and Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
Loum Tchaouna pulled one back for Burnley in the 71st minute but the managerless visitors, who parted company with Scott Parker by mutual consent on Thursday, slipped to a fifth straight league defeat.
Leeds’ third win in four league matches lifted them up to 14th in the table, nine points clear of the bottom three, with their relegation rivals all in action later this weekend.
Leeds’ former owner Andrea Radrizzani was watching from the stands and he did not have long to wait before cheering their opening goal.
Jaka Bijol rolled the ball to Stach in a central position 30 yards from goal in the eighth minute and the Germany midfielder arrowed a brilliant low shot inside Burnley goalkeeper Martin Dubravka’s left-hand post for his fifth league goal of the season.
The early strike settled Leeds and they pinned Burnley in their own half in pursuit of a second goal.
Stach, back in the starting line-up after a four-game absence due to an ankle injury, was wayward with a free-kick from similar distance soon after and Ao Tanaka also fired over the crossbar.
Burnley’s relegation was confirmed after last week’s 1-0 home defeat to Manchester City and to their credit they maintained their composure under periods of heavy pressure, defending resolutely before half-time.
James Ward-Prowse’s deflected shot was easily gathered by Leeds goalkeeper Karl Darlow at the start of the second period before the home side struck twice in four minutes to kill the game.
A sweeping move down the right involving Calvert-Lewin and Jayden Bogle saw the latter cross for Okafor to volley into the far corner for Leeds’ second in the 52nd minute.
It was the Switzerland winger’s eighth league goal of the season and his fourth in as many league matches.
Tanaka’s 20-yard shot was then parried by Dubravka and Calvert-Lewin pounced to stab home their third in the 56th – his 12th league effort of the season.
Calvert-Lewin’s effort prompted chants of ‘We are staying up’ and ‘United are back’ from Leeds fans before Burnley responded through Tchaouna in the 71st minute to cut the deficit.
The French forward raced on to former Leeds winger Jaidon Anthony’s superb through-ball and got the better of Pascal Struijk before firing into the bottom corner.
Tchaouna’s goal lifted the Clarets, but Farke sent on substitutes Sean Longstaff and Brenden Aaronson to help steady the ship and they comfortably navigated eight minutes of stoppage time to extend their unbeaten league run to six matches.
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