Leeds 0-3 Chelsea: Romelu Lukaku on target again as Blues leave 10-man Leeds in relegation trouble
Chelsea pushed 10-man Leeds further into the relegation mire as goals from Mason Mount, Christian Pulisic and Romelu Lukaku secured a 3-0 win for Thomas Tuchel’s men at Elland Road.
Leeds needed to avoid defeat in order to move out of the drop zone but, as in their 2-1 defeat by Arsenal on Sunday, they endured a nightmare start to the game and could not recover.
Mount curled home a superb opener after only four minutes and Leeds then had Daniel James sent off midway through the first half for a reckless tackle on Mateo Kovacic, who was unable to continue and is now an injury doubt for Saturday’s FA Cup final.
It was deja-vu for Jesse Marsch’s side, who lost Luke Ayling to a red card in similar circumstances having fallen behind at the Emirates Stadium, and their misery was compounded by precise finishes from Pulisic and Lukaku after the break as Chelsea strengthened their grip on third place and warmed up for Saturday’s Wembley showdown against Liverpool in style.
Leeds, meanwhile, also lost Jack Harrison to injury and must now prepare for their remaining Premier League games, against Brighton and Brentford, without the suspended James as well as Ayling.
How Blues punished 10-man Leeds
Elland Road was a cauldron of noise as the players emerged from the tunnel ahead of kick-off but the home supporters were swiftly silenced when Mount beat Illan Meslier with a brilliant, first-time finish following a slick Chelsea move.
It was a familiar feeling for Leeds following Eddie Nketiah’s instant opener at the Emirates on Sunday and their evening went from bad to worse when James lunged in on Kovacic in midfield, prompting referee Anthony Taylor to immediately brandish the red card.
Leeds protested the decision, arguing James had won the ball, but the winger’s challenge was dangerous, his studs landing on Kovacic’s ankle, and VAR rightly upheld the decision before the Croat had to be replaced by Ruben Loftus-Cheek.
Chelsea had opportunities to extend their lead either side of the red card, with Diego Llorente clearing a Mount effort off the line and Lukaku heading narrowly wide from a James cross.
But they had to wait until the second period to make the game safe. Lukaku, reinvigorated after his double in Chelsea’s 2-2 draw with Wolves at the weekend, headed over shortly after half-time but the second goal arrived soon afterwards.
The outstanding Mount was involved again, finding Pulisic with a deft flick, and the USA international then dispatched a low finish into the bottom corner, leaving Meslier with no chance.
Lukaku continued to threaten as Chelsea dominated the remainder of the game and, following a string of chances, including one low effort which bounced inches wide, he finally found the net with a high finish after delaying his shot from Hakim Ziyech’s pass.
Leeds, hamstrung by an early red card for a second consecutive game, mustered little in response, failing to even register a shot on target, and the defeat, their third in a row, leaving them in a perilous position heading into their final two games.
For Chelsea, the picture looks more positive ahead of Saturday’s FA Cup final as they opened up a four-point gap on fourth-placed Arsenal and went eight clear of fifth-placed Tottenham, all but confirming their place in next season’s Champions League.
