Leeds take huge step towards Premier League with easy victory over Fulham as Patrick Bamford silences doubters
Only total disaster would prevent Leeds from getting promoted this season after their 3-0 victory over Fulham on Saturday.
Goals from Patrick Bamford, Ezgjan Alioski and Jack Harrison saw Marcelo Bielsa's men climb above West Brom to the top of the Championship, opening up an eight-point gap to third place Brentford in the process.
Leeds have developed a reputation for falling apart, particularly after last season, but with none of the Championship's current top nine left to play in their remaining seven fixtures, they surely have one foot in the Premier League.
Each goal was celebrated with extra significance as the Whites took a huge leap towards ending that long 15-year wait for a top-flight return.
Bamford will be particularly delighted following much criticism last week for some poor finishing in the defeat to Cardiff.
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He looked nothing like the man who has struggled for goals of late when he stroked Helder Costa's cross into the corner.
Fulham, who were lucky to keep Aleksandar Mitrovic on the pitch after his early elbow on Ben White, had the better of the chances in the first-half - but Leeds weathered the storm.
Bielsa's men emerged stronger in the second half and made their pressure pay with a superb breakaway goal from Alioski, before Harrison benefited from a superb Pablo Hernandez pass to make it three.
Fulham were eventually reduced to ten men when Neeskens Kebano was sent off for a second yellow card late on.
That's back to back defeats for Fulham, who now find themselves seven points adrift of second-place West Brom and look set to rely on the lottery of the play-offs for promotion.