Leeds United put on an exhibition after lifting the Stoke City blanket

There were two blankets over Elland Road in the first half, a grey one hanging over the roofs of the stands and a black one over the final third of the pitch as Stoke City sat back and challenged Leeds United to break them down.

For nearly 45 minutes, it looked like they might get away with it but as soon as Leeds lifted the on-field blanket, Stoke were left horribly naked.

As soon as they were in front, Marcelo Bielsa's side put on an exhibition of football that deserved a better audience than 15,000 cardboard cut-outs.

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They even waited until stoppage time to score the fifth goal which put their goal difference beyond West Bromwich Albion's. Needless to say, Stoke scored nil, and they were lucky to get that, as Len Shackleton once said.

CELEBRATION: Luke Ayling (left) greets Liam Cooper's goalCELEBRATION: Luke Ayling (left) greets Liam Cooper's goal
CELEBRATION: Luke Ayling (left) greets Liam Cooper's goal

More importantly, Leeds are two wins and a draw away from the Premier League, with four matches to play.

Michael O'Neill sent his Stoke side out in what looked a bit like a Christmas tree formation but in a matter of minutes they had switched to a back five with James McClean, who revels in the role of offensive player switched to left-back – wing-back would have been stretching it.

Leeds are used to tactics like this, especially at Elland Road. They knew it was just a question of patience.

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Bielsa said in the build-up his team feels the pressure, but they rarely show panic. He only tolerates one way of playing.

Their main approach was to hit sweeping passes from the central defenders and holding midfielder Kalvin Phillips, to switch the play and release their wingers. But for some incredible defending by McClean it might have paid off, but in the end it was a temporary drop in Stoke's defensive discipline which opened the door a crack, and that was all the Whites needed.

Jack Butland was busy from the second minute, tipping a shot from the impressive Tyler Roberts around the post, but largely the blanket kept him protected.

Patrick Bamford shot off target from distance, and Mateusz Klich's was blocked after a gorgeous ball from Roberts, and a feint from his midfield partner. Harrison missed the target at the end of the move started by a lovely driven pass from Ben White.

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At that point it looked like the emblematic moment of the first half might have gone midway through when again Leeds played with invention, only to come up against Stoke determination.

Bamford played a lovely one-two with Harrison and his dinked shot beat Butland, only for McClean to get back brilliantly to clear with his “wrong” leg. Roberts' follow-up was blocked too.

But Stoke are in the relegation battle for a reason, and it was always asking a lot to keep up that approach for 90 minutes against a team of such quality. In the 43rd minute they cracked, Tommy Smith catching Helder Costa as he ran away from goal, catching him as he briefly entered the penalty area. Klich sent Butland the wrong way and the roar of the fake crowd, augmented by plenty of genuine delight from the director's box, signalled a significant breakthrough.

The second half was an exhibition from the home side. Pablo Hernandez came off the bench oozing quality and they too switched to a back three but they could have played more or less any formation, any personnel, and strolled to victory, their football was so well-oiled, Stoke so exposed once behind. That is not to play down the quality of their football, just to point out that everyone in White played to Bielsa's tune.

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The game was just three minutes into the second half when it was done and dusted, Costa taking his time from an exquisite Stuart Dallas pass and finding the net.

The third and fourth goals were works of art, Phillips finding Hernandez, who pulled the ball back for central defender Liam Cooper to drill in, and Costa laying a chance on from the byline for Hernandez, with Bamford dummying over the ball.

Include added time and there was 20 minutes to go at that stage but Leeds could take it steady, with key players Dallas, Klich, Harrison and Cooper all given time off for good behaviour.

It looked like Bamford might miss out on the fun, hitting the bar and denied by Butland from a tight angle, but in stoppage time the centre-forward got onto the scoresheet, pinging a goal in off the far post.

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Leeds threw it away with four games of last season remaining. It would be a massive shock if that particular piece of history repeated itself.

Leeds United: Meslier; Ayling, White, Cooper, Dallas (Douglas 75); Phillips; Costa, Roberts (Hernandez 46), Klich (Shackleton 78), Harrison (Alioski78); Bamford.

Not used: Poveda, Berardi, Miazek, Struijk, Stevens.

Stoke City: Butland; Smith, Collins (Chester 46), Batth, Martins; Campbell (Gregory 61), Cousins, Clucas (Thompson 81); Powell, McClean; Vokes (Diouf 61).

Not used: Ward, Lindsay, Ince, Davies, Sorensen.

Referee: D Bond (Lancashire).

Editor’s note: first and foremost - and rarely have I written down these words with more sincerity - I hope this finds you well.

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James Mitchinson

Editor

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