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Leeds United are set to clinch promotion to the Premier League for next season, completing the feat with a lopsided 6-0 win over Stoke City on Monday that saw forward Joel Piroe enter the team’s record books after scoring four goals of his own.
Piroe scored the game’s first goal in the sixth minute and made it 2-0 just two minutes later, setting the tone for a statement-making performance. The damage was done by halftime when Leeds were up 5-0, with Piroe scoring four of them and Junior Firpo bagging the other. Wilfried Gnonto scored the game’s final goal in the 59th minute, while Piroe had already marked a unique accomplishment of his own – he became Leeds’ first player to score four goals in the first half of a competitive match.
The win means Leeds need Burnley to beat or draw Sheffield United later on Monday, something that Burnley will be incentivized to do. A win for the Clarets means they will also secure automatic promotion to the Premier League with two games to spare in the Championship.
Leeds have been among the frontrunners to earn promotion all season long in the Championship and will now end a two-year spell in England’s second division. They are currently top of the Championship table with 94 points and are guaranteed to finish inside the top two, which guarantees a spot in the Premier League next season.
Considering their Premier League ambitions, Leeds are currently stacked with personnel who have experience in England’s top flight. Seven members of the team that started Monday’s game all have Premier League experience, including U.S. men’s national team player Brenden Aaronson, while manager Daniel Farke was previously in charge of Norwich City when they played in England’s first division.
One other spot in next season’s edition of the Premier League is still up for grabs through the promotion playoffs, which will see the teams that finish the Championship season ranked three to six square off against each other. This year’s playoff final will take place on May 24 at London’s Wembley Stadium.
In the Premier League, Southampton and Leicester City have already clinched relegation back to the Championship after just one season in England’s top flight.
