LEEDS, England — Dominic Calvert-Lewin experienced an “unbelievable feeling” after playing a key role in guiding Leeds United towards securing their Premier League status with a 3-1 win over Burnley on Friday.
This victory puts Leeds in a strong position, now nine points ahead of Tottenham Hotspur, who currently sit in the third relegation spot.
Under the guidance of Daniel Farke, Leeds climbed to 14th place, surpassing Newcastle, Nottingham Forest, and West Ham, all of whom have a game in hand. The bottom two teams, Wolves and Burnley, are already relegated.
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The Leeds players reveled in front of a jubilant home crowd at the final whistle. While acknowledging that survival isn’t guaranteed yet, the win provided a significant boost to their spirits.
“It’s an unbelievable feeling,” Calvert-Lewin expressed. “Leading from the front and executing the game plan really well made a significant impact.
“Burnley came in playing with nothing to lose, which can be dangerous. But I am proud of the team and how we executed our performance.”
Anton Stach opened the scoring for Leeds in the eighth minute with a low shot from 30 meters that managed to slip past Martin Dúbravka.
The second goal came seven minutes into the second half when Burnley defender Bashir Humphreys made a careless pass that Calvert-Lewin intercepted, setting up Noah Okafor to score.
Calvert-Lewin added the third just four minutes later, capitalizing on a parried shot from Ao Tanaka in a congested penalty area.
This win marked Leeds’ sixth consecutive match without a league loss, following their FA Cup semifinal defeat to Chelsea last Sunday.
“I’m incredibly proud of my players and have so many compliments for them,” Farke remarked. “To deliver 10 points in our last four Premier League games during such a pressured period and to be unbeaten in six matches is remarkable.
“We also had a historic cup run while managing to focus on important games, which feels fantastic. Considering the number of key players we’ve been missing—like Joe Rodon, Anton Stach, Jaka [Bijol], and Noah Okafor—it shows the incredible mentality, work ethic, unity, and spirit within the squad. I’m immensely proud of their efforts.”
Despite the comfortable lead over the relegation zone, Farke cautioned his players against becoming complacent in the remaining matches.
“We won’t celebrate until it’s mathematically secured. While 43 points is a solid total, I don’t want to settle there,” he warned. “I don’t see any reason to stop now. We’re in great form and delivering excellent performances.
“As I mentioned before the game, we have 12 points to fight for. We’ve gained the first three, and now we aim to secure the next nine.”
Loum Tchaouna managed a consolation goal for Burnley, who parted ways with manager Scott Parker on Thursday, appointing interim coach Mike Jackson for the final four matches of the season.
“I anticipated this game could go one of two ways given the circumstances of the last 24 hours,” Jackson said. “The group was taken aback by the shock of it. In the first half, we appeared a bit shell-shocked. However, we improved as the game progressed and started the second half well. We just can’t afford to make those mistakes, or we’ll always find ourselves struggling.”
The Associated Press and PA contributed to this report.