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Leeds United thumped Newcastle United 4-1 at Elland Road to hand new Newcastle boss Matthias Jaissle his first defeat since taking charge. Leeds were two goals up inside the opening minutes through a Lewis Miley own goal and a Jayden Bogle strike, before Dominic Calvert-Lewin added a third just before half-time to put the game to bed early. Noah Okafor added a fourth after the break, with Bazoumana Touré's late consolation the only thing Newcastle had to show for their afternoon. It's a statement win that keeps Leeds unbeaten through the opening weeks and handily placed in the pack behind the leaders, while Newcastle — still well-placed in mid-table — will hope this proves a one-off blip under their new manager rather than the start of a wobble.
Pre-match Talking Points
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1Leeds are 13th with three points from three straight draws — still unbeaten, but Elland Road would like an actual win at some point. Newcastle sit 6th on five points, just two clear of Leeds, after clawing back a 2-0 deficit against Bournemouth to keep new boss Matthias Jaissle unbeaten in his first month on Tyneside. It's only Matchweek 4, so nobody's panicking yet, but a Leeds win here closes that gap and turns three draws into a platform rather than a rut — lose, and the "same old Leeds" jokes write themselves.
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2Leeds haven't beaten Newcastle in the league in six attempts (four draws, two defeats), and their last win over these particular opponents came away from home back in January 2021. Newcastle, for their part, arrive unbeaten in six straight against Leeds, including a chaotic 4-3 win at St James' Park last season. It's the kind of record that makes today's home advantage feel a bit theoretical.
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3Keep an eye on Dominic Calvert-Lewin. Everton let him go for nothing in the summer after years of injuries and diminishing returns, and he's using Leeds as his second chance — he was the one who popped up with a stoppage-time equaliser against Brentford on the opening day at Elland Road. He's not the most eye-catching name in the squad, but he's a proven Premier League finisher with something to prove, and this crowd is fully behind him.
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4Newcastle's defence is a bit patched together right now — both Dan Burn and Joelinton are out injured (ankle and quad respectively) and neither is back before the international break. It's also the toughest away test yet for new manager Matthias Jaissle, whose side is still unbeaten but just blew a two-goal lead against Bournemouth and now has to prove it can defend a scoreline as well as chase one.
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5Leeds are actually favourites for this one at around 7/5, which makes their six-game winless run against Newcastle look stranger by the minute. Elland Road ending a hoodoo that stretches back to January 2021 would be exactly the kind of night that turns three underwhelming draws into a good story instead of a worrying one.
Team Talking Points
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1Leeds beat Tottenham 1-0 at Elland Road on Saturday thanks to Noah Okafor. He came off the bench and scored with his first touch in the 79th minute. Few things make a manager look cleverer than a substitute scoring within two minutes of coming on.
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2The win ended a five-match winless run in the league and stopped a resurgent Spurs side in their tracks. Leeds also had much the better of the chances. Leeds fans will point out it was no smash-and-grab.
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3It wasn't without controversy. Spurs were furious Leeds weren't reduced to ten men, and VAR got plenty of airtime afterwards. Leeds fans will tell you it all evens out over a season. Spurs fans will not.
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4Daniel Farke has Leeds eighth, just two points off a European place. For a club that has spent much of the last few years bouncing between divisions, that's very welcome stability. Mention Europe casually and watch a Leeds fan try very hard not to get excited.
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5Small worry over the break: Leeds midfielder Gudmundsson picked up some hamstring tightness on Sweden duty. Sweden boss Graham Potter says it isn't serious and he should be back on the pitch within days. That's the sort of detail that makes you sound properly plugged in.
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Top thing to say down the pub
Eighth and two points off Europe, and Okafor only needed one touch to beat Spurs. Farke's got Leeds looking like a proper Premier League side again.
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Avoid saying
"Leeds are a yo-yo club" — technically defensible over the last decade, but saying it while they're eighth and eyeing Europe is the quickest way to get a lecture about Don Revie.
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1Newcastle's last game was a 1-1 draw at Fulham. Jacob Murphy scored a 25-yard screamer, and it lasted all of three minutes before Rodrigo Muniz equalised. Muniz hadn't scored in 15 months, which made it extra annoying.
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2They also had a Dan Burn goal ruled out after VAR spotted a foul by Yoane Wissa in the build-up. Manager Matthias Jaissle called it 'soft' and said his side did enough to win. Agree that it was soft and you'll make a friend for life.
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3Jaissle also called the draw 'a step in the right direction after the last performance'. That tells you the last performance wasn't great. Newcastle sit roughly mid-table on 12 points from 10 games, about four points clear of the drop zone and four off the top six.
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4That puts them in a very Premier League kind of limbo: not in trouble, not in contention. A couple of wins and the talk is Europe. A couple of defeats and people start looking nervously over their shoulders.
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5The first game back after the break is a big one. Leaders Arsenal visit St James' Park on Saturday 21 November. A win there would change the mood around the club overnight, and fans know it.
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Top thing to say down the pub
If VAR hadn't chalked off Dan Burn's goal at Fulham, we'd be talking about the top six, not 'a step in the right direction'.
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Avoid saying
"Newcastle are the richest club in the world, they should be winning everything." Fans have heard it a thousand times. Spending rules mean the money hasn't turned into the trophy-a-season machine people imagine, so you'll get a long lecture on profit and sustainability.