Leeds United 6 Stoke City 0: Composed Whites show why they are heading back to the Premier League

It took Burnley’s XXXXX against Sheffield United to confirm promotion, but after a rampant 6-0 win over Stoke City, there was little doubting their fans had got it right as early in the afternoon they began singing "The Whites are going up."

Leeds have only once won promotion to the top division since 1990, and that was behind closed doors during the Covid-19 pandemic.

If Carlsberg did Easter Mondays, this is how they would do them for a Leeds supporter.

Manager Daniel Farke had been relaxed enough not to even put his best player, Daniel James, on the bench after the Hull-born winger complained of a sore hamstring after making his return from injury at Oxford United on Good Friday.

With just 20 minutes gone, Joel Piroe already had a hat-trick as his team-mates pressed with the hunger of a team locked up without food since Lent ended. By half-time he had four, and Leeds five.

Farke even brought 16-year-old Harry Gray – brother of Archie, son of Andy, grandson of Frank and grand-nephew of Eddie – on for an eight-minute debut, having taken James' place on the bench. It got one of the biggest cheers of the day.

Club legend Eddie's emotion as he did was clear.

So was Gray Jnr's joy as he jigged in front of a Kop singing I Predict a Riot at full-time.

If Prioe got the goals, Jayden Bogle was arguably even better. The right-back has been outstanding since joining from Sheffield United but this was probably his best performance yet.

Stoke turned Leeds around at the coin toss in their last act of defiance on a rainy West Yorkshire day.

They trailed after six minutes, Leeds pouncing when they overplayed, Willy Gnonto picking out Manor Solomon from the loose ball. The pass was behind Prioe but he stabbed it into the net to start the party.

Two minutes later and the first bursts of "Leeds are going up" started after Bogle won the ball off Bae Jun-ho and played it for Piroe to control and finish.

Brenden Aaronson forced Viktor Johansson into a low save after 11 minutes as Stoke gave the ball away again. A minute later Bogle took the ball off Josh Wilson-Esbrand, but his cross from the byline was cut out.

It was only delaying the inevitable. Ao Tanaka was at the heart of a move from back to front, threading a lovely ball to Gnonto. His shot was saved, but Piroe pounced to complete a 14-minute hat-trick.

Junior Firpo shinned the fourth in after his fellow full-back Bogle beat his man and delivered a deflected cross. Nothing was stopping Leeds.

Johansson saved low from Gnonto before Piroe scored the fifth in the 42nd minute.

Bogle's turn to beat Wilson-Ebrand was exquisite but from a tight angle, he hit the upright. No matter, Piroe miskicked the ball in, Aaronson trying but failing to nick the goal.

It was not surprise left-back Wilson-Ebrand was part of a triple half-time substitution, or that Mark Robins brought on a third central defender in the shape of Teessider Ben Gibson.

Bae had only Stoke's second shot of the game, carrying the ball forward and shooting wide to the kind of ironic cheers that met Ali Al Hamadi as he missed the target almost falling over himself at the other around 20 seconds after the restart.

As Elland Road partied, Leeds completed the formalities of a second half.

Solomon forced a near-post save and Bogle blew the chance of the goal he so deserved before being substituted, ballooning his shot.

But as the crowd sang Gnonto's name, Leeds' smallest player got his name on the scoresheet with a 59th-minute header. It does not matter how diminutive you are if the cross is as good as Solomon's was. The Italian immediately acknowledged the assist.

Lynden Gooch stopped Isaac Schmidt joining the fun after Johansson came out to Largie Ramazani and Lewis Baker hit a stoppage=time shot which stopped Karl Darlow being charged for being a spectator.

For a club with a reputation for "falling apart, whose bottle was being questioned even earlier this month, it was a masterclass in composure and quality.

How Leeds will fare in the Premier League is a question for another day but Bunrley ensured it can now be asked.

Leeds United: Darlow; Bogle (Byram 77), Rodon, Ampadu, Firpo (Schmidt 77); Tanaka, Gruev; Gnonto (Ramazani 65), Aaronson, Solomon; Piroe (Bamford 65). Unused substitutes: Meslier, Guilavogui, Joseph, Gray, Wober.

Stoke City: Johansson; Tchamadeu, Phillips, Wilmot, Wilson-Esbrand (Gooch HT); Pearson, Burger (Seko 72); Manhoef (Gibson HT), Baker, Bae (Koumas HT); Al Hamadi (Lawal 60). Unused substitutes: Bonham, Gallagher, Moran, Fawunmi.

Referee: D Bond (Wigan).