Leeds United absolutely torched Newcastle 4-1 at Elland Road, rocketing up to third in the Premier League standings thanks to a masterclass from Dominic Calvert-Lewin. This guy just wrecked Newcastle, who honestly looked like they were still asleep out there.
Leeds Came Out Firing, Calvert-Lewin a Menace
Calvert-Lewin was pure chaos, and he just loves playing Newcastle, doesn’t he? He bagged a trademark header for Leeds’ second goal, which actually came off Jayden Bogle, then showed off his composure with a calm finish for their third. That’s eight goals against Newcastle now for Calvert-Lewin, more than any other team he’s faced. He earned a monster 9 rating for his efforts. Bogle, who also got credit for the second goal and hammered a goal against Brighton previously, was a real threat all night, forcing two big saves before his goal. He earned an 8. Noah Okafor also dropped an 8, setting up Tanaka’s opener and then smashing in Leeds’ fourth goal himself. Ao Tanaka himself got a 7, looking back to his best form. James Trafford, despite some nervy clearances, pulled off an important save to deny Harvey Barnes, earning a clean sheet and a 7. Leeds’ display was relentless, starting with Anton Stach winning a corner inside 32 seconds, setting the tone for their dominant performance.
Newcastle’s Defense Was Skinned So Easily
While Leeds was flying, Newcastle’s backline was just getting absolutely torched. Lukas Hornicek, their keeper, actually kept it from being even uglier, pulling off fine saves to deny Bogle twice and foil Calvert-Lewin. He still got a 6, which says a lot about the rest of the defense. Malick Thiaw, the captain for the night, had a truly forgettable performance with a 3 rating. He was beaten easily by Calvert-Lewin for the second goal, visibly frustrated after the third, and then couldn’t block Okafor’s fourth. And then there’s Sven Botman, who, like Thiaw, couldn’t handle Calvert-Lewin at all and was “skinned so easily” for that second goal. Another 3 rating. Ouch. Amar Dedic (4) had a tough night with Leeds constantly targeting his flank, and Lewis Hall (4) was dragged out of position, making it a bad night after signing a new deal. Nico Gonzalez had to come off after just 19 minutes when the ball hit him in the head, and Lewis Miley’s midfield was totally overwhelmed. Jacob Murphy didn’t offer enough protection and caused Leeds few problems going the other way, earning a 3.
This 4-1 shellacking sends a clear message early in the season. Leeds is on fire, but Newcastle’s backline has some serious soul-searching to do if they want to turn things around. They have to fix this, and fast.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by BBC Sport.
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