Leeds promotion back to the Premier League was confirmed on Monday evening after Burnley beat Sheffield United in a crunch Championship clash.
Daniel Farke’s side were on the brink of their promotion being confirmed following their match on the same day, with the league leaders thrashing Stoke 6-0 at Elland Road in an earlier game.
It meant the Whites only needed Sheffield United to avoid victory in the evening game, and they did just that – also at their own expense.
Burnley’s victory meant they too were promoted at the first time of asking, led to the Premier League under Scott Parker following relegation under the stewardship of Vincent Kompany last term.
But it is a return after two years away for Leeds, who have widely been regarded as a club that should be in the Premier League. Last season, they lost in the play-off final against Southampton with doubts surrounding Farke’s future.
This time around, though, they have not tripped up this time around, securing promotion with two games to spare, and they can now prepare for life in the top flight once again.
Leeds have been promoted back to the Premier League after two years in the Championship
Daniel Farke has led the Whites to the top flight with two games left in the current season
Joel Piroe scored four goals in the 6-0 win over Stoke to put the league leaders on the brink
Joel Piroe scored four goals in the first half for a side that put on an exhibition for the packed out crowd, who were never going to stop the West Yorkshire rain from putting a dampener on their big day.
Their team weren’t either. By half-time, they were five goals up, with four courtesy of Piroe, who scored the quickest hat-trick in Leeds’ history. It ended six-nil but in reality, it could have been even more.
With 89 goals in 44 Championship games, they are the entertainers and now look all but set to join Marcelo Bielsa’s side of 2019-20 as just the second Leeds team to secure promotion to the Premier League.
Pre-match, Farke had called on everyone from the stewards to the groundsmen to be in full voice as Leeds had ‘the chance to create something really special’ and achieve promotion to the Premier League for the first time with supporters – when they went up in 2020, it was during the pandemic.
They did just that, and the celebrations are full time were those of resignation, with all involved realising they were on the brink.
They have been the best side in the division this season, but it has been a campaign that hasn’t been without some slip ups. In late March and early April, they won just one of seven games as their promotion push stumbled, but they have recovered to win their last four.
Burnley, meanwhile, have been the division’s standout side defensively this season. They have conceded just 14 goals in 44 games under Parker, losing just twice as they proved to be hard to beat.
Against United, their closest challengers for second place, Josh Brownhill scored the opened to lift the roof off Turf Moor, but Thomas Cannon silenced the cheers when he equalised just before the break.
They can now prepare for their return to the top flight, having lost the play-off final last season
Burnley’s win over Sheffield United means the Clarets have also been promoted back to the Premier League
Brownhill, though, netted his second of the game from the penalty spot just before the break.
United must now turn their attentions to ending the season strong before a play-off campaign in their bid to return to the Premier League at the first time of asking. They are eight points adrift of Burnley with 44 games played.
