Leeds United remain in the Premier League relegation zone with two games to go after losing to Chelsea, who are closing in on sealing a Champions League spot.
Mason Mount scored the game’s opening goal with a lovely first-time effort from outside the box from Reece James’ cut-back at the end of a nice passing move.
United had Daniel James sent off for a dangerous high tackle on Mateo Kovacic, who had to be replaced. They later became the first team to ever receive 100 yellow or red cards in a Premier League season.
Christian Pulisic slotted Mount’s pass into the bottom corner from 20 yards.
Romelu Lukaku – who earlier had a goal disallowed – scored the third goal that the Blues’ dominance deserved as he took his time to hold off three defenders and smash home.
Leeds offered very little and their hopes of staying up are out of their hands. They are behind 17th-placed Burnley on goal difference but the Clarets have a game in hand.
Chelsea only need to beat one of Leicester or Watford – or hope Tottenham do not win all three remaining games – to clinch a place in next season’s Champions League. But for now their focus turns to Saturday’s FA Cup final against Liverpool.
Is the end nigh for Leeds?
Leeds replacing their legendary boss Marcelo Bielsa with Jesse Marsch in February has brought no real upturn in fortunes.
Ill-discipline cost them again with James shown a fully-deserved red card for a bad foul on Kovacic – who was booed by home fans as he limped off to be replaced by Ruben Loftus-Cheek. That was their third red of the season (on top of a record 97 yellows) and their second in four days following Luke Ayling’s dismissal in their defeat by Arsenal.
Leeds now need to get something from games with Brighton and Brentford – without Ayling or James – and hope Burnley or Everton slip up above them.
They may be without Jack Harrison too, whose first-half knock added to the injury woes which have plagued their season.
Leeds have conceded 37 goals in their home league games this season, their second worst ever record in a top-flight campaign.
They could perhaps deal with those struggles better if they were scoring more goals – but they only had five shots at Elland Road, none on target.
More to follow.
How to play
Rate players out of 10 throughout or after the game. The rater will close 30 minutes after the final whistle.
Rating range key = Give it up = Pure perfection
Leeds United
Starting XI
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Squad number1Player nameMeslier
Average rating4.62
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Squad number5Player nameKoch
Average rating4.28
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Squad number14Player nameLlorente
Average rating4.27
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Squad number6Player nameCooper
Average rating4.36
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Squad number21Player nameStruijk
Average rating4.13
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Squad number23Player namePhillips
Average rating4.49
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Squad number26Player nameBate
Average rating4.19
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Squad number10Player nameRaphinha
Average rating4.33
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Squad number20Player nameJames
Average rating3.68
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Squad number22Player nameHarrison
Average rating4.05
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Squad number19Player nameRodrigo
Average rating4.08
Substitutes
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Squad number3Player nameFirpo
Average rating3.84
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Squad number30Player nameGelhardt
Average rating3.79
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Squad number43Player nameKlich
Average rating3.54
Chelsea
Starting XI
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Squad number16Player nameMendy
Average rating6.59
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Squad number14Player nameChalobah
Average rating6.60
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Squad number4Player nameChristensen
Average rating6.16
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Squad number2Player nameRüdiger
Average rating6.47
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Squad number24Player nameJames
Average rating7.19
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Squad number5Player nameJorginho
Average rating6.37
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Squad number8Player nameKovacic
Average rating6.49
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Squad number3Player nameAlonso
Average rating6.34
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Squad number19Player nameMount
Average rating8.04
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Squad number10Player namePulisic
Average rating6.95
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Squad number9Player nameLukaku
Average rating6.85
Substitutes
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Squad number12Player nameLoftus-Cheek
Average rating6.61
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Squad number22Player nameZiyech
Average rating6.76
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Squad number28Player nameAzpilicueta
Average rating6.57
Line-ups
Leeds
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 1Meslier
- 5Koch
- 14Llorente
- 6Cooper
- 21Struijk
- 23PhillipsBooked at 43mins
- 26BateSubstituted forKlichat 59′minutes
- 10RaphinhaSubstituted forGelhardtat 78′minutes
- 20JamesBooked at 24mins
- 22HarrisonSubstituted forFirpoat 37′minutes
- 19Rodrigo
Substitutes
- 3Firpo
- 13Klaesson
- 30Gelhardt
- 33Hjelde
- 35Cresswell
- 42Greenwood
- 43Klich
- 46Shackleton
- 63Gray
Chelsea
Formation 3-4-2-1
- 16Mendy
- 14Chalobah
- 4Christensen
- 2Rüdiger
- 24JamesSubstituted forAzpilicuetaat 78′minutes
- 5Jorginho
- 8KovacicSubstituted forLoftus-Cheekat 30′minutes
- 3Alonso
- 19Mount
- 10PulisicSubstituted forZiyechat 78′minutes
- 9Lukaku
Substitutes
- 1Arrizabalaga
- 6Thiago Silva
- 11Werner
- 12Loftus-Cheek
- 18Barkley
- 22Ziyech
- 28Azpilicueta
- 29Havertz
- 31Sarr
- Referee:
- Anthony Taylor
- Attendance:
- 36,549
Match Stats
Live Text
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Match ends, Leeds United 0, Chelsea 3.
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Second Half ends, Leeds United 0, Chelsea 3.
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Corner, Chelsea. Conceded by Liam Cooper.
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Foul by César Azpilicueta (Chelsea).
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Junior Firpo (Leeds United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
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Attempt missed. Mason Mount (Chelsea) right footed shot from the left side of the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Hakim Ziyech following a corner.
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Corner, Chelsea. Conceded by Diego Llorente.
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Attempt blocked. Mateusz Klich (Leeds United) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
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Foul by Antonio Rüdiger (Chelsea).
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Joe Gelhardt (Leeds United) wins a free kick on the right wing.
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Foul by Andreas Christensen (Chelsea).
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Kalvin Phillips (Leeds United) wins a free kick on the right wing.
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Antonio Rüdiger (Chelsea) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Robin Koch (Leeds United).
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Attempt missed. Hakim Ziyech (Chelsea) left footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Ruben Loftus-Cheek following a fast break.
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Attempt missed. Robin Koch (Leeds United) header from the centre of the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Joe Gelhardt with a cross.
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Foul by Ruben Loftus-Cheek (Chelsea).
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Kalvin Phillips (Leeds United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
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Goal! Leeds United 0, Chelsea 3. Romelu Lukaku (Chelsea) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the high centre of the goal. Assisted by Hakim Ziyech.
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Offside, Chelsea. César Azpilicueta tries a through ball, but Romelu Lukaku is caught offside.
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