Leeds eased the pressure on Daniel Farke with a thumping 3-1 win at Elland Road, leaving the visitors nine points behind Premier League leaders Arsenal and denting Chelsea’s title hopes.
In what could have been a crucial game for Falke’s future, his decision to stick with the 3-5-2 formation that sparked a second-half comeback in the defeat to Manchester City was decisive as they pushed Chelsea past and within three points.
Impressive performances against Arsenal and Barcelona have put Chelsea in contention for the title, but the trip to West Yorkshire was a reality check for Enzo Maresca against a team he has lost his last four games against.
Leeds deservedly took a two-goal lead at the end of the first half thanks to Haka Bijol’s bullet header at the near post and Ao Tanaka’s superb long-range strike, which was perplexed by Chelsea’s new regime, which Farke’s side were dominating towards the end of the first half.
Maresca was substituted twice at half-time, allowing Pedro Neto to come off the bench shortly after the restart and make an immediate impact, taking advantage of Leeds defender Gabriel Gudmundsson’s lapse in concentration and firing in at the back post.
Leeds United’s Aoi Tanaka celebrates after scoring his team’s second goal
However, Leeds did not back down, and substitute Noah Okafor converted a loose pass from Chelsea defender Tosin inside their own box, allowing Dominic Calvert-Lewin to score for the second successive game, restoring their two-goal advantage.
Falke appears to have hit on the perfect formula with a last-minute formation change, offering hope that all is not lost in the fight for survival this season. Next up is Liverpool at Elland Road on Saturday – live on Sky Sports.
Saturday, December 6th 5pm
5:30pm kickoff
Watch all four goals in a thrilling match
Use Chrome Browser for a more accessible video player
Xhaka Bihor scores his first goal for Leeds United in the Premier League against Chelsea
Use Chrome Browser for a more accessible video player
Ao Tanaka’s goal gives Leeds a 2-0 win in the Premier League against Chelsea before the break
Use Chrome Browser for a more accessible video player
Pedro Neto’s goal helps Chelsea beat Leeds 2-1 in the Premier League
Use Chrome Browser for a more accessible video player
Tosin Adarabioyo’s mistake gives Leeds a 3-1 win over Chelsea thanks to Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s goal.
Neville: Chelsea ‘not good enough’ to win title
Sky Sports’ Gary Neville believes Chelsea’s current squad is “not good enough” to win the Premier League.
“I don’t think they can win the title. In fact, I don’t think they have a chance. If you look at the teams that won the title, Chelsea have some big holes.
“Chelsea’s team is well built and incredibly talented, but their centre-backs tonight were poor in every way.
“The goalkeeper is not good enough to be a title-winning goalkeeper and he is also a good centre-forward, but he is not at the level needed for Chelsea to win titles.
“They will finish in the top four, but the instability is still there. We’ve seen Chelsea stand out in the game, but we’ve also seen them perform like that (at Leeds).”
“I don’t think they were ready for Elland Road. I don’t think they had any respect for the game and what was going to happen there. They were physically outmatched, outmatched and outmatched. They deserved to lose.”
Maresca: They are ahead of us in every aspect.
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca:
“They were better than us in every way. They deserved to win the game.
“There’s nothing to take from this game. The only thing we can do is understand the mistakes we made and try to reset. Because again, we have one more game in 48 hours.”
Falke reacts to “external noise”
Leeds manager Daniel Farke spoke about the dissatisfaction among fans and spoke to the media about his future ahead of the game.
“Although there was always outside noise, there was never a sense that we were not a unit.
“We are a club with a mission and this club wants to establish itself at this top level. We cannot achieve this with supporters alone, making Elland Road a fortress.
“Emotions can run high after a disappointing result, but that is normal and there is nothing I would change.
“I knew exactly which club I signed for and today I felt great unity at the club. I don’t think there is a need for change. I hope for more of the same, especially if on Saturday I play at Liverpool, another top team.”
Opta stats: Chelsea struggle again without Caicedo
Leeds United had just 28.6% of possession in their 3-1 win over Chelsea. It was their lowest percentage of league wins since December 2016, when they won against Reading in the Championship (23.2%). Chelsea lost 5-2 at Sam Allardyce’s West Brom, conceding more than three goals against a team that started in the relegation zone for the first time since April 2021. Leeds United’s total xG in tonight’s win against Chelsea was 2.82. It was the second highest tally for any side to face the Blues in the Premier League since Enzo Maresca took charge, behind Tottenham’s meager 2.9 points in December 2024. Since joining the club for the 2023-24 season, Chelsea have won just 25% of Premier League games when Moises Caicedo did not start (2/8 games), compared to 52% when Moises Caicedo started. (43/82).
