Michael Phelps sends two-word reaction as Leeds United breeze past Stoke City
Leeds United cruised past Stoke City on Boxing Day to return to the top of the Championship, thanks to two fine goals from Joel Piroe.
Daniel Farke knew that coming into Boxing Day, his side would have to produce a much better performance on the road to claim three points.
Stoke hosted the Whites in the midst of a woeful run of form under Narcis Pelach, and that was reflected in the balance of the match.
As Burnley claimed another clean sheet and victory by beating Sheffield United at Bramall Lane, it bunched the top four closer together but opened the door for Leeds to move back to first place.
A win would put Leeds top on goal difference, and they were emphatically sent on their way by Joel Piroe’s first of the evening, initially denied by Viktor Johansson before setting himself and lashing down the near post, in off the woodwork.
It was largely one-way traffic throughout the game, and Leeds got their deserved second after half-time when Dan James found an unmarked Piroe at the back post, who nodded in for 2-0.
In truth, it could have been three or four and Leeds would have been deserving of such a scoreline, but with their three points Leeds now leapfrog Sheffield United by virtue of vastly superior goal difference.
