Struggling Leeds ended a four-game losing run to dent Chelsea’s Premier League title charge.
The Blues dropped to fourth place – nine points behind leaders Arsenal – after a disappointing display at Elland Road.
With boss Daniel Farke under pressure, the hosts dominated the first half and struck twice through first Premier League goals for both Jaka Bijol and Ao Tanaka.
Chelsea rallied at the start of the second period, and half-time substitute Pedro Neto pulled one back in the 50th minute, but Enzo Maresca’s men suffered a massive blow when they conceded a third in the 72nd minute after a defensive howler.
Tosin Adarabioyo’s mistake allowed Leeds striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin a tap-in to restore his side’s two-goal cushion and seal a desperately-needed second win in nine games to take them out of the bottom three.
It was a first win for Farke’s men over a team above 13th in the Premier League for more than three years, and came at a crucial time as their German manager faced growing frustration from the stands amid speculation about his future following their poor run of results.
The victory stemmed from a blistering start, with Leeds creating four chances in the opening five minutes before Slovenian centre-back Bijol – a summer arrival from Udinese – headed in Anton Stach’s sixth-minute corner.
Apart from Joao Pedro’s mis-hit effort, Liam Delap’s weak, poked shot in the 38th minute was their only effort on target before the interval.
Leeds doubled their lead two minutes before half-time when Enzo Fernandez was dispossessed near his own box and Jayden Bogle found Tanaka to fire in a powerful, swerving strike.
Maresca sent on Neto and Malo Gusto for Benoit Badiashile and Estevao Willian, who was fortunate to only get a yellow card, not red, for kicking out at Gabriel Gudmundsson.
But Lukas Nmecha and Calvert-Lewin had chances even before Neto volleyed in Jamie Gittens’ cross at the back post.
Chelsea sent on Cole Palmer, returning from a groin injury after more than two months out, and Alejandro Garnacho to spark their side, and the pair combined for a big chance in the 69th minute, but Palmer dragged his low shot wide.
And three minutes later, Leeds claimed the decisive third goal when Adarabioyo’s sloppy under-hit pass to keeper Robert Sanchez allowed Noah Okafor to nip in and square for Calvert-Lewin to tap home his second in successive games after netting at Manchester City.
While Chelsea were overtaken by Aston Villa in third place, Leeds moved up to 17th place and three points clear of West Ham, who visit Manchester United on Thursday.
Leeds analysis: Players step up for under-pressure Farke
Chelsea boss Maresca knew the change of Leeds formation was coming – yet could not stop it hurting his team.
Before the game, he had hinted the hosts were likely to switch to a back five and two up front – a shape that worked so well in a superb second-half fightback at Manchester City, where Leeds rallied from 2-0 down to level before being beaten by an injury-time Phil Foden winner.
Leeds boss Farke duly stuck with that line-up – and it worked well against the Londoners, who seemed unable to cope with the fire and physicality of the hosts.
The opener looked to come straight off the training ground. Clever decoy runs left Bijol unmarked at the set-piece to send a powerful header past Sanchez for his first goal for the club.
That lifted a vibrant Elland Road crowd, driving Leeds to win their duels and defend aggressively. Such intensity led to the second goal as Japan midfielder Tanaka delivered a swerving strike of real quality.
The passion, gameplan and execution stirred memories of the clashes between these two rivals in the 1960s and 1970s – and the home side provided a greater desire for the victory.
It showed Leeds, under Farke, are far from a lost cause in their fight to avoid immediate relegation following promotion last term.
If they can replicate this level of power and passion, Liverpool could face similar problems when they visit at the weekend.
Chelsea analysis: Caicedo loss bigger than Palmer
With just two defeats in 16 matches in all competitions, Chelsea survived Palmer’s injury absence by keeping themselves in the title hunt.
But losing combative midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-match suspension could derail their season.
The numbers underline his importance – Chelsea have won only two of eight league matches without him since his arrival in 2023, compared with 43 victories from 82 when he starts.
There is no doubting Palmer’s quality, but a wealth of attacking options, including Estevao and Garnacho, can provide adequate cover.
But Caicedo’s obvious replacement, Romeo Lavia, is injured and the inexperienced Andrey Santos came in against Leeds and struggled, with former Blues midfielder Ethan Ampadu impressive for the opposition.
Chelsea rotated tired, injury-prone players such as Reece James and Wesley Fofana, who had excelled against Barcelona and Arsenal.
But their defence was sluggish as sloppy mistakes proved costly, while Delap and Gittens failed to make the most of starting opportunities.
This was among Chelsea’s poorest performances of the campaign, highlighting a lack of leadership and the naivety of young players like Estevao, who risked a red card despite a run of sensational form.
They completed 630 passes – their most in the league this season – but created only three chances of note.
Chelsea have typically performed better against the strongest teams in England and Europe, but inconsistent displays and being unable to rise to the challenge of lesser opposition has led to dropped points and hurt their title ambition.
What’s next for these teams?
Leeds next welcome Liverpool to Elland Road on Saturday, 6 December (17:30 GMT), while Chelsea have another trip to face Bournemouth in the Premier League on Saturday, 6 December (15:00 GMT).
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