And Then They Were Champions

Leeds United traveled the 300-plus miles from Leeds to Plymouth for their last game of the season. Promotion to the Premier League was already clinched. The parade was already scheduled for Monday. It was a 12:30pm kickoff (in England, anyway. It was 6:30am on my couch). Yes, the league title was up for grabs, but does it really matter? For the first half of the game it felt like it didn’t, not really. Leeds looked simply happy to not have to sweat the dreaded playoffs, knowing life in the Premier League awaits in three-ish months.

Plymouth Argyle’s Mustapha Bundu rattled the woodwork after 15 minutes and then made Leeds pay three minutes later by putting the ball in the net off of Leeds’ own Sam Byram. Officially it was an own goal on Byram, but it does a disservice to Bundu’s run down the left side and into the box. It was very much a deserved goal. Leeds spent the rest of the half kinda-sorta creating chances, but not doing anything with them.

I don’t know what Daniel Farke said at halftime, as I don’t know that Daniel Farke will get any more halftimes with Leeds United. But halftime across the league with Leeds losing 1-0 and Burnley tied with Millwall at 1-1 meant that Burnley - at that moment in time - would win the league.

Leeds came out swinging in the second half. Italian Willy Gnonto, having thrown a big-ass fit about being in the 2nd Tier with Leeds two years ago, tied the game in the 53rd Minute with Gnonto drilling home a cross by Manor Solomon, who was tap-dancing at the left edge of the box, chased by two Plymouth defenders, to tie it 1-1.

With Burnley pulling ahead of Millwall, a Leeds tie was no longer going to win the league. Leeds took shots that went over and wide, Joel Piroe’s goal was ruled offside in the 73rd Minute, and they generally just had me looking at my Lexapro, wondering what would happen if I took it 14 hours early.

In the 91st Minute, time winding down on the season, Manor Solomon - he of the game-tying assist some 40 minutes earlier - received a pass about 25 yards from the goal. A Plymouth defender lunged at it, thinking that if he could cut it off, the threat would be over. And he would have been correct, had he actually cut the pass off. He did not. Solomon was able to run within 12 yards of the goal with three Plymouth defenders closing in on all sides, and slot the ball into the bottom right corner of the net. 2-1 Leeds.

For the first time in Club history, Leeds United recorded 100 points in a season. Their three highest point totals in history have come since the 2019-2020 season.

For the fifth time in Club history, Leeds United have won their league. Though Burnley won, Leeds win the title based on goal differential, Leeds’ +65 easily the best in Club history, and 12 better than Burnley’s goal differential. And that’s because Leeds’ 95 goals scored in 46 matches was the highest in Club history.

We’ll have more reaction, and posts with reactions, in the coming days, but for today, Leeds are throwing a party.