Leeds United 3-1 Burnley: Familiar story as post-Parker era begins in defeat
The post-Scott Parker era at Burnley started just as poorly as it ended as Mike Jackson’s second caretaker spell began with a dismal defeat to Leeds United.
Goals from Anton Stach, Noah Okafor and Dominic Calvert-Lewis guided the home side to a 3-1 win that surely all but seals their Premier League status.
But as for the already-relegated Clarets, they struggled to lay much as a glove on the home side as they extended their miserable run to just one win from their last 26 league games.
We witnessed no real reaction from Thursday’s departure of Scott Parker, who left Turf Moor by mutual consent just eight days after the club’s relegation was confirmed.
While Loum Tchaouna pulled a goal back to momentarily cause a bit of panic among the home faithful, Burnley otherwise failed to leave any lasting impression as they slumped to another miserable defeat - their 23rd of the campaign.
Despite winning promotion alongside Leeds last season, both on 100 points, the difference between the two sides couldn’t now be any starker.
It gives the Clarets another major wake-up call as they begin to consider life back in the Championship next season.
Given the lack of preparation time, with the club only opting to part ways with Parker on Thursday, Jackson opted to go with the same side that pushed Manchester City all the way last time out.
The only changes came on the bench, where Zeki Amdouni was named in a match day squad for the first time this season.
The Swiss international has been sidelined since last summer having suffered an ACL injury in pre-season.
Hannibal also returned from a hamstring injury to be named among the substitutes having been out since the defeat to Fulham.
Mike Tresor and Lyle Foster were the two to drop out of the squad, while Axel Tuanzebe, Jacob Bruun Larsen and Ashley Barnes also continue to be left out.
Jordan Beyer, Connor Roberts, Josh Cullen all remain sidelined.
As for Leeds, they made three changes from their FA Cup semi-final defeat to Chelsea, as Gabriel Gudmundsson and Brenden Aaronson made way for Joe Rodon and Anton Stach, while Karl Darlow came back in for Lucas Perri in goal.
There was very little to speak of during the opening exchanges, but that didn’t stop Leeds from taking the lead with their first attempt on goal in just the eighth minute.
The hosts weren’t exactly made to work for their breakthrough either, with one simple ball from Jaka Bijol opening up the Clarets through the middle of the pitch.
Anton Stach took a touch on the opening and opted to rifle a low effort which somehow crept in from 30 yards out, almost appearing to take Martin Dubravka by surprise.
The Clarets continued to shoot themselves in the foot, as they came close to conceding a second shortly after the opener.
Bashir Humphreys seemed to take an age to meet Dubravka’s pass out from the back, allowing Stach to nip in and intercept. The ball eventually found its way to Ao Tanaka on the edge of the box but he failed to keep down his volley.
Saying that, Leeds were guilty of some risky play themselves at the other end as they got away with a Tanaka slip in their own box.
Leeds continued to play at an intensity and with a sharpness Burnley simply couldn’t match, but the visitors certainly weren’t helping themselves with some bizarre defending - looking terrified any time Daniel Farke’s side came near their goal.
So poor were Burnley in the first half, we had to wait until the stroke of half time for their half chance of sorts. But to sum up their half, Jaidon Anthony’s back post effort was blocked by his own teammate in Zian Flemming.
It meant Jackson’s side ended the half without producing a single shot on target and creating a measly xG of 0.03.
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Saying that, it’s not like Leeds were playing particularly well themselves, albeit they still deserved to lead given their strong start which Burnley struggled to contend with.
But after finding that early opener, the home side struggled to create much of note either in what was a game lacking in quality.
Two minutes into the second half, Burnley finally produced a shot on target, albeit a fairly tame one as James Ward-Prowse’s long-range effort deflected straight to the keeper.
But that’s as good as it got for Burnley, because they quite simply crumbled from this point onwards.
Leeds doubled their lead seven into the second half as Noah Okafor stroked home his fourth goal in his last four league games.
While it was a good finish from the winger following good build up play from Leeds, the goal started with Bashir Humphreys carelessly giving the ball away in a really poor area, which summed up his torrid night.
Four minutes later, two became three as Dominic Calvert-Lewin got in on the act, prodding home from close range after Dubravka failed to handle Tanaka’s fierce drive.
In another comical moment that summed up Burnley’s miserable night, Kyle Walker almost added a fourth for Leeds when he bizarrely opted to head a cross back to his own goal under no real pressure, with the ball looping narrowly over Dubravka’s crossbar.
The Clarets thought they had a goal back when Lucas Pires prodded home from close range after Humphreys’ low drive had been saved into his path, only to be met with the linesman’s flag. VAR backed up the call with another of those wafer-thin decisions.
But Burnley did pull a goal back a couple of minutes later when Loum Tchaouna rifled home on his weaker right foot after being played in by Anthony.
With the Clarets sensing a bit of anxiety setting in among the home faithful, Jackson introduced Armando Broja and Zeki Amdouni off the bench, with the latter making his first Burnley appearance since August 2024.
Leeds could have restored their three-goal lead five minutes from time when Pascal Struijk met a corner, only to head straight at Dubravka.
But the hosts otherwise coasted through the final minutes, even when eight minutes of stoppage time were added on. But while Burnley huffed and they puffed, an unlikely comeback never seriously looked on the cards, even though Anthony did blaze over on the turn with the last real action of the game.
TEAMS
Leeds: Darlow, Bogle (James), Justin, Struijk, Rodon, Bijol, Ampadu, Tanaka (Longstaff), Stach (Aaronson), Okafor (Nmecha), Calvert-Lewin (Gnonto)
Subs not used: Perri, Byram, Bornauw, Piroe
Burnley: Dubravka, Walker, Humphreys, Ekdal, Humphreys (Amdouni), Hartman (Pires), Laurent (Hannibal), Ward-Prowse (Florentino), Tchaouna, Anthony, Flemming (Broja)
Subs not used: Weiss, Worrall, Ugochukwu, Edwards
Referee: Thomas Bramall
Attendance: 36,265
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