[Sport] Leeds 5-0 Stoke: United record thumping win to return top of Championship

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Leeds thumped Stoke 5-0 on Thursday to return to the top of the Championship
Leeds, as they usually do, dominated the game from the off, but were largely frustrated by Stoke throughout most of the first half. After 22 minutes, they came so close to taking the lead as Bamford raced through and dinked one over Jack Butland, but James McClean got back to the line to clear, before Danny Batth then threw himself at Tyler Robert's follow-up effort.
All Stoke's resilience was blown away in one wild moment just before the break, however. Tommy Smith unnecessarily chopped down Costa in the corner of the area, as the Leeds midfielder ran away from goal, and Klich stepped up to coolly send Butland the wrong way from 12 yards.
Michael O'Neill made a change at the break as he put on James Chester to sit in central defence, but the change immediately cost Stoke as the veteran centre-back allowed Costa in far too easily to poke home a second on 47 minutes after good work from Stuart Dallas to find him.

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The job was completed 10 minutes later as they carved Stoke open again. Kalvin Phillips found Hernandez, who then fed it low into the box for captain Cooper - was still up from a corner - and he smartly clipped one off the inside of the near post with his left peg.

Hernandez - who only came on at half-time - capped off a fine cameo as finished low from the edge of the box after being teed up by Costa on 72 minutes, and Leeds grabbed a fifth with virtually the last kick of the game as Luke Ayling sent a 50-yard ball over the top for Bamford, who finished low across the goalkeeper.

Man of the Match - Helder Costa
If Hernandez had been on from the start, it could well have gone to him. But Costa celebrated signing his permanent deal with Leeds by helping to break the deadlock by winning the penalty that Klich converted, then reacting well to put the game beyond Stoke with their second. He was a menace all evening to the Potters backline and also helped create their fourth for Hernandez.

What the managers said...
3:21

Marcelo Biesla says the points gap between Leeds and the teams below them is important but however not definitive.
Leeds' Marcelo Bielsa: "It was difficult for us to impose ourselves in the first half, but the penalty helped us. After we scored early in the second half it made it easier for the rest of the match.

"[Hernandez had a big impact on the pitch and he was very intelligent with the places he puts himse on the pitch, and his passes are very accurate. He's a player who makes a lot of impact.
"There are 12 points left [to play for] and the difference is important, but not definitive."