'We deserve to be there' - Nico Elvedi on Leeds United's fast start and the 'amazing' Elland Road atmosphere

The Whites had failed to win their last two games, but the fact they played so well in the first halves against Brighton (a 1-1 Premier League draw) and Chelsea (a 6-3 League Cup defeat) fed into the positivity around the club since the turn of the year.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin is fit and scoring, manager Daniel Farke was banging the Jayden Bogle for England drum, Ao Tanaka looks like he believes in himself, Noah Okafor is brimming with creativity.

That Newcastle went into the game unbeaten felt artificial too, papering over the inevitable cracks when you try to replace Eddie Howe, Anthony Gordon, Bruno Guimaraes, Sandro Tonali et al with young people wet behind the ears about English football.

Their next opponents, Hull City, will be hoping they play like this at St James' Park on Saturday.

Leeds' first three goals took deflections - though to deny Calvert-Lewin a goal for the tickle from Bogle felt cruel - but still, 4-1 was a fair reflection of how much better the Whites were.

Actually, not quite. That was 4-0, before Bazoumana Toure scored his 90th-minute goal as the hosts started to get sloppy.

That gave Farke something to be annoyed about from what he called "one of the best performances of the last 12 months".

Generally, though, the mood was very positive.

The win ensured Farke's words did not ring hollow when he insisted a freak half-hour at Chelsea meant "nothing at all". The lessons of the last two wasted first halves were learnt when Calvert-Lewin put his side 3-0 up before the interval.

If Leeds can negotiate Sunday's game at home to Crystal Palace, they will go into the season's first international break unbeaten. Only Arsenal and Manchester City have won more points so far, only seven teams have more in 2026.

At the end of 2024-25, League Cup winners Newcastle were supposed to gatecrash the elite. That is still some way off for Leeds, but on this evidence European competition in 2027-28 looks a lot more achievable for the team from West Yorkshire than Tyneside.

"We've had four (league) games, so it's hard to say where we can go this season but we have a very good team," said Nico Elvedi when the topic was broached. "I think we can do a lot this season. We just have to keep going and play our game."

His caution was wise. Four games into last term, Tottenham Hotspur were third, which shows you how meaningless tables are right now.

But what is perfectly sensible is basking in the good times. If not, why bother?

"We deserve this win,” said Elvedi. “We played a very good game from the start to the end. Our plan was to press one against one, and I think we did this very well. I think we deserve third place, but we have to keep going."

Tanaka's goal bounced right off substitute Sean Steur and left off Lewis Miley to flummox Lukas Hornicek. Calvert-Lewin's bullet header grazed off Bogle before he forced a third through before the break.

"We started so strongly in the first 15 minutes but didn't reward ourselves and then they had five or six minutes when they put a bit of pressure on us and that's what a good side does," said Farke.

"You have to take advantage of the good play and when there is a chance to break their will and to strengthen your position further, it was crucial not just to go 1-0 up at half-time like in Brighton.

"Not just the 3-0 at half-time but also how we started the second half that we wanted to go for the fourth goal (scored by Okafor after 59 minutes). We showed this maturity."

It allowed Elvedi the full Elland Road experience in his first evening game there.

"I didn't expect this great atmosphere," he admitted. "Everyone told me it would be amazing, and it was amazing. When we went on the pitch, we feel this. It's pushing us."

But still there were nits to pick.

"We would have preferred a bit more possession in the last few minutes and a goal was avoidable but we opened the centre," grumbled Farke. "My team deserved a clean sheet."

Even with Tanaka, "there was this unnecessary loss of the ball after we went 2-0 up (when a heavy touch forced Tarik Muharemovic into an intervention to stop Yoane Wissa).

"He gets lots of praise from me but believe me, also lots of stick. I want to make him a perfect Premier League player."

A classic Farke attempt to keep everyone grounded.

"I don't believe in these psychological games," he insisted. "When the boys deserve praise, like on Monday, they get it. it's easier to be critical when everyone is in a good mood.”

The momentum right now is definitely with Leeds.