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Leeds 3-1 Leicester: Archie Gray scores first senior goal as Daniel Farke’s side come from behind to reduce the Foxes’ lead at the top of the Championship to six points

  • Archie Gray scored the winner as Leeds came from behind to beat Leicester 
  • It put the Yorkshire outfit to within six points of the Championship leaders 
  • The Carabao Cup final is like a World Cup final for Mauricio Pochettino, if Chelsea beat Liverpool it’ll be enormous for him – It’s All Kicking Off podcast

Daniel Farke insists winning the Championship title isn’t important, so long as Leeds United still go up.

Clearly his players aren’t listening. This sensational come-from-behind win before a euphoric Elland Road resurrected the race for the No 1 spot.

One moment Leicester were 12 points clear and it seemed a done deal. The next, Leeds were six behind and breathing down their neck. The old place was shaking by the end.

Trailing to Wout Faes’ early header, Leeds should have been dead and buried as Leicester spurned chance after chance.

But with 10 minutes left, Connor Roberts drilled home his first goal for Leeds after Georginio Rutter weaved into Leicester’s box and the ball took a ricochet off a defender. 

Archie Gray scored his first senior goal as Leeds came from behind to beat Leicester on Friday

Archie Gray scored his first senior goal as Leeds came from behind to beat Leicester on Friday

Substitute Daniel James scored in the closing stages as he added to Leeds' advantage

Substitute Daniel James scored in the closing stages as he added to Leeds’ advantage

Daniel Farke's side are now only six points adrift of Enzo Maresca's Championship leaders

Daniel Farke’s side are now only six points adrift of Enzo Maresca’s Championship leaders

The jubilant Leeds players celebrate after Gray's goal put them in front against Leicester

The jubilant Leeds players celebrate after Gray’s goal put them in front against Leicester

17-year-old Gray showed impressive composure to score as Leeds managed to prevail

17-year-old Gray showed impressive composure to score as Leeds managed to prevail

The noise had barely abated when homegrown hero Archie Gray won it three minutes later. The youngster’s shot took deflections off both Hamza Choudhury and Faes to wrongfoot keeper Mads Hermansen.

In stoppage time, Dan James drilled home a free-kick to settle it and the old place shook.

MATCH FACTS 

Leeds United (4-2-3-1): Meslier; Gray, Rodon, Ampadu (c), Firpo (Roberts 73); Gruev, Kamara; Gnonto (James 64), Rutter, Summerville (Anthony 90); Piroe (Bamford 64)

Substitutes not used: Klaesson (GK); Roberts, Cresswell, Cooper, Shackleton, Joseph

Manager: Daniel Farke

Scorers: Roberts 80; Gray 83; James 90+4

Booked: Rodon, Ampadu, Kamara, Roberts, Meslier

Leicester City (4-2-3-1): Hermansen; Pereira (c), Faes, Vestergaard, Justin; Winks, Dewsbury-Hall; Fatawu, Choudhury, Mavididi (McAteer 78); Daka (Cannon 78)

Substitutes not used: Stolarczyk (GK); Coady, Nelson, Doyle, Albrighton, Yunus, Praet

Manager: Enzo Maresca

Scorer: Faes 15

Booked: Pereira, Vestergaard

Referee: Craig Pawson

Attendance: 36,954

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This was a ninth consecutive league win for Farke’s team – equally a club record from 1931 – and it preserved their unbeaten season here.

Leicester were floored. Of course the title remains in their own hands and they should still go up but a gap that stood at 17 points on New Year’s Day is now uncomfortably tight.

It was the leaders who settled the quicker, looking slick in their passing and movement.

Ricardo Pereira made a free header from James Justin’s cross too straightforward for Ilian Meslier, before the Leeds goalkeeper pulled off a more demanding fingertip save to deny Patson Daka.

But Leicester made their breakthrough from the resulting corner, puncturing a rowdy Elland Road atmosphere.

Dewsbury-Hall delivered short to the near post, where Daka ran off marker Glen Kamara and flung himself at the ball ahead of Ilia Gruev to get the flick on.

Leeds hadn’t picked up Faes at the back post and the mop-haired Belgian stooped to head home.

Although there were grumblings among the home fans, Leeds could have been level by the break.

Gnonto surged into Leicester’s box but took a heavy touch cutting inside rather than shooting, before Jannik Vestergaard made a superb last-ditch tackle to thwart Crysencio Summerville.

Farke’s side needed to find a higher gear after half-time and Rutter shot over after Harry Winks gave the ball away in midfield.

But Leicester were still playing the more attractive football and Meslier saved one-handed to deny the ever-willing Stephy Mavididi.

From a corner, Vestergaard rose highest to head against the crossbar as Leeds switched off again from a set-piece before Daka put the ball in the net from an offside position.=

Connor Roberts scored the equaliser for Leeds United before they added two more goals

Connor Roberts scored the equaliser for Leeds United before they added two more goals

Wout Faes' goal in the 15th minute had put Leicester in the ascendancy on Friday evening

Wout Faes’ goal in the 15th minute had put Leicester in the ascendancy on Friday evening

Faes looked to have set Leicester on their way to victory but Leeds managed to fight back

Faes looked to have set Leicester on their way to victory but Leeds managed to fight back

Foxes striker Patson Daka found the net for Leicester but his effort was ruled out for offside

Foxes striker Patson Daka found the net for Leicester but his effort was ruled out for offside

Ilia Gruev of Leeds attempts to win the ball from nifty Leicester attacker Stephy Mavididi

Ilia Gruev of Leeds attempts to win the ball from nifty Leicester attacker Stephy Mavididi

The Leicester man was nonplussed and replays showed the ball dropped to him off Leeds man Rutter rather than a team-mate, making him onside.

Leicester continued to press and Mavididi’s pace took him clear again from Dewsbury-Hall’s perfect pass but he fluffed the golden one-on-one chance. Daka then missed an even better one, shooting embarrassingly wide.

How those misses would prove costly.

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