Leeds United boss Daniel Farke admits 'signs are good' for his side after 3-0 win over Luton

It was so much more comfortable than a few days earlier in the 4-3 game with Swansea and manager Daniel Farke was delighted with the ease with which his team collected their latest three points.

They will now go into a testing away game at Blackburn on Saturday on top on goal difference and on target for the 90 plus points they are likely to need to achieve their promotion aim.

“We are on a good point tally right now and I like for the confidence,” said Farke.

“When was the last time Leeds United were top of the table? Probably in Marcelo's time.

“In the last weeks and months we were hunting and I'd rather lead from the front.

“You have to keep going. Right now it's early doors, but signs are good.”

Farke thought his side was good value for their three-goal victory.

He added: “It was a dominant performance, concentrated and professional, exactly how you have to win such a game in midweek in such a crazy week with three games within six days.

“We made it look simple, but it was not simple because we played against a side who played Premier League last season.

“I still think they're contenders for the top six, last game was a clean sheet win. To show such a dominant performance in the home game, to create many chances, score three, score in perfect moments of the game - it was very professional, focused, apart from the last six or seven minutes when we allowed them to be there with two strikes.

“I was a bit annoyed, I wanted to return with a clean sheet. Thank God Illan was there. During such a period this is exactly how you should win such a game against a pretty physical and good side. I'm pretty pleased tonight.”

Leeds made a sharp start and could have scored in the third minute when Manor Solomon's pull back was met by Willy Gnonto, but the Italian's shot was deflected and easily saved by Luton keeper Thomas Kaminski.

They were ahead in the tenth minute from another Solomon pull back as Sam Byram got forward to get on the end of it. His first shot with his left foot was blocked, but from the rebound he came up with a spectacular scissor kick volley to hammer the ball into the net.

Luton almost hit back when veteran Victor Moses was slid in down the left and chipped the ball over Illan Meslier only for Pascal Struijk to make a fantastic clearance off the line.

It was United dominance from that point with Brenden Aaronson wasting a good chance to shoot in trying to play Gnonto in instead and Gnonto having a shot saved after Joe Rothwell's great pass had set Solomon free.

Again Luton showed what they could do as right wing-back Reece Burke headed a good chance wide at the far post. But the Whites made it 2-0 shortly after with a rare goal from a corner.

Rothwell's excellent delivery was met with a strong header by Struijk and although keeper Kaminski parried his effort away Joel Piroe pounced to score from the rebound.

It was more dominance after the break as Ao Tanaka struck two shots from distance, one being saved and the other deflected over.

Piroe turned in the box only to see his shot bocked on the line and from a Rothwell free-kick Struijk could not quite make clean contact after getting ahead of his marker.

Piroe saw his 20-yard free-kick deflected over and Solomon shot over in the area after a good run forward by Joe Rodon.

A rare Luton threat saw sub Elijah Adebayo send a header over from their only corner before Leeds got their deserved third goal when Jaden Bogle's ball over the top of the defence set Dan James free and he completed the move with an exquisite lob over an advancing keeper.

They could have added more in the closing stages with Mateo Joseph's header saved and Bogle played in by Solomon only to be denied by probably Kaminski's best save.

Luton had a few efforts themselves when the game was all over with Adebayor denied by Meslier in a one-on-one and the home keeper saving two strikes from distance by Shandon Baptiste and Jordan Clark.

Leeds United 3

(Byram 10, Piroe 45+1, James 81)

Luton Town 0

Wednesday, November 27, 2024

Championship

Leeds: Meslier; Bogle, Rodon, Struijk, Byram (Wober 59); Tanaka, Rothwell (Guilavogui 84); Gnonto (James 69), Aaronson (Ramazani 84), Solomon; Piroe (Joseph 69).

Luton: Kaminski; Mengi, McGuiness, Bell; Burke (Hashioka 45), Nakamba (Baptiste 74), Krauss, Clark, Moses (Chong 76); Morris (Adebayo 59), Brown (Taylor 59).

Referee: Sam Allison.