Leeds United 0-3 Chelsea: 5 talking points as the Blues take another step towards ensuring a top-four finish with an easy win | Premier League 2021-22
Chelsea ended a run of three games without a win in the Premier League as they secured a 3-0 win at Leeds United on Wednesday, May 11. Mason Mount gave the Blues an early lead in the fourth minute with a sublime goal. Christian Pulisic and Romelu Lukaku scored the other two goals in the second half.
Leeds United are now prime candidates for the third side to be relegated from the league. They have lost three games in a row and sit 18th, while 17th-placed Burnley have a game in hand.
FULL-TIME Leeds 0-3 Chelsea
The Blues open up a four-point lead on Arsenal thanks to goals from Mason Mount, Christian Pulisic and Romelu Lukaku
#LEECHE https://t.co/Q9WtpePKpx
Mount's early goal set the tone for the game. A red card for Daniel James in the 24th minute of the game only made things that much more difficult for the home side.
As Chelsea inch closer to sealing a Champions League spot with a win, here we take a look at the five talking points from the game.
#5 Chelsea regain form just ahead of the crucial FA Cup final showdown against Liverpool
Chelsea have gone winless in their three prior league outings, losing once and playing out two draws. However, they got off to a bright start as Mount gave them the lead in the fourth minute after being set up nicely by Reece James.
The goal set the tone for the remainder of the game, though they didn't see another goal for the next 50 minutes. They created plenty of chances and continued to push forward in the first half to no avail.
They prevented Leeds from having enough breathing space to launch counter-attacks as the hosts failed to produce a single shot on target in the game. They face Liverpool in the FA Cup final on Saturday and will need a similar kind of fire in that game.
#4 Leeds only have themselves to blame for as they stare at relegation with two games to go
Leeds found themselves a goal down minutes from kickoff. While it was not the start any team would want, there was time to stage a comeback but things just didn't click for the home side.
They had James sent off in the 24th minute with a reckless and needless challenge on Mateo Kovacic. It was the second game in a row that the club had seen themselves reduced to 10-men in the first half.
100 - Dan James' red, followed by Kalvin Phillips' yellow means Leeds this season are the first team to receive 100 cards in a single Premier League campaign (97 yellows, 3 reds). Feisty. https://t.co/UMCjeANE8h
The visiting side made the most of their numerical advantage and continuously pushed forward. As a result, Leeds spent most of the game chasing the ball and none of their five shots throughout the game were on target.
They have failed to score in three of their last four league games and will have only themselves to blame if they get the drop.
#3 Romelu Lukaku scores in back-to-back league games for the first time since December
Romelu Lukaku was the standout player for the Blues in their last league game as his brace helped them secure a 2-2 draw against Wolverhampton Wanderers. He found the back of the net against Leeds too, though it took him six attempts to do so.
The Belgian striker was included in the starting XI in the last two games by Thomas Tuchel and has repaid the manager's faith by producing goal-scoring returns.
This goal took his goal tally for the Premier League campaign to eight goals and he'll be hoping to hit at least double-digit figures before the season comes to an end.
#2 Chelsea defenders enjoy a solid outing as they keep their first clean sheet in four games
Chelsea kept their 16th clean sheet of the Premier League campaign against Leeds United on Wednesday. While the wastefulness of the Leeds attackers helped them keep a shutout, the back-three for the away side enjoyed a great day at the office.
All three central defenders had greater than 94% pass accuracy and Trevor Chalobah made more tackles than any other player on the pitch (four). The defenders were confident in their challenges and were able to weed out danger before Leeds players could get to the ball.
#1 Mason Mount produces yet another scintillating display for the Blues
Mason Mount was the star of the show for the visitors as he not only bagged the opening goal but also picked up an assist for Pulisic's second-half strike. With an assist and a goal on Wednesday, the Englishman became the first player since Eden Hazard to reach double-digit tallies in goals and assists for the club in the Premier League.
Mason Mount continues to do it all for Chelsea 👏
No Chelsea player has contributed to more goals this season ... and he's still only 23 years old 😮 https://t.co/KJ6N5f02xt
Mount was a constant threat throughout the game. The overlapping runs from Reece James, who picked up an assist for Mount's opener, also helped out a lot in the final third.
The right-back had more key passes (five) than any other player and also completed more dribbles than any other player on the pitch (five).