A late onslaught on a tiring home defence brought Leeds an equaliser and several near misses, but not the third goal that would have rewarded them with victory and first place in the Championship. Instead Watford became just the second league opponents this calendar year they have failed to beat, the home side twice taking the lead and holding it until the 85th minute when Mateo Joseph, just 25 seconds after coming on as substitute, levelled the game with his first league goal.
Leeds arrived at Vicarage Road in extraordinary form, a phenomenal three-month surge having taken them from fourth at the end of 2023, 17 points behind Leicester and nine away from Ipswich, to the top of the table at the start of the Easter weekend. Since the turn of the year Leeds had taken 37 of a possible 39 points; in the same time Watford had dropped 26 points and a manager, Valérien Ismaël paying for his side’s poor form earlier in the month.
