Leeds boss Daniel Farke warned his players they won only three points after their resounding 4-0 victory against automatic promotion rivals Ipswich.
Skipper Pascal Struijk’s early header, Leif Davis’s own goal against his former club and Crysencio Summerville’s penalty put Leeds 3-0 up at half-time.
Farke’s side kept the hammer down after the break to the delight of a raucous Elland Road crowd as Joel Piroe added a fourth, while the Dutch forward and team-mate Georginio Rutter both saw shots hit the crossbar.
It was a statement win for Leeds as they closed the gap on second-placed Ipswich to seven points and extended their unbeaten home run this season to 12 matches.
Farke said: “To win three points is always priceless. That’s the most important thing. It was good also for our goal difference.
“And yes, if you win in such a manner against one of the best sides in this league, then it’s also good for the confidence and a big boost for the mood.
“But nothing major has changed. It’s not like right now we are sitting top of the table.
“Ipswich are still in a really good position and it’s important also that we protect our position because we can expect the teams around us to pick up many points and we have to keep going.”
Ipswich were bidding to extend their advantage over Leeds to 13 points, but were overrun and outclassed in just their third league defeat this season.
“When you deliver such a performance in such a spotlight game it also sends a bit of a message out, but it’s not more than three points,” Farke added.
“It’s not possible in a game of football to put in a perfect performance, but I will say it’s probably our most mature performance of the season.
“We played one of the top sides of this level and we were all over them. We fully deserved a 4-0 win.”
Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna, who guided the club to promotion in May, suffered his first defeat by more than two goals in two seasons as their manager.
“Of course it was a disappointing game that didn’t got the way we wanted it to go,” he said.
“It certainly wasn’t an enjoyable experience, but over the course of a long season you’re going to have days that don’t go your way and today was one of them.
“We’ll learn from it and move on really, really quickly.”
Ipswich, who went close through Conor Chaplin’s shot, which skimmed a post, and Nathan Broadhead in the first-half, must regroup in time for the visit of leaders Leicester on Boxing Day, while Leeds play at Preston.
Alonso: Self-confidence is driving Leverkusen forward
Xabi Alonso says Bayer Leverkusen are driven by self-confidence in their ability to win games ahead of the Europa League final.
Leverkusen are chasing the second trophy in a potential treble against Atalanta in Dublin on Wednesday, with the DFB-Pokal final against Kaiserslautern to follow on Saturday.
The Bundesliga champions became the first German team to go unbeaten on their way to the title and are currently on a 51-match run without defeat in all competitions.
Alonso is taking charge of his first European final as a manager, but he believes his team will draw on the experience they have already gained this season.
"Our self-confidence keeps driving us on. We know that we can produce goals until the final minute," he said in his pre-match press conference. "That's a huge development that the team has made this season.
"From the start of the campaign, we believed in our brand of football and that's right at the heart of this successful run.
"We'll prepare like we did for all the games before. We haven't lost in 51 games, so my boys know how to adapt to different situations. That also applies to the final.
"What matters above all tomorrow is mentality. We have a game plan, but the players still have that wonderful atmosphere from the title celebrations on Saturday, and we want to tap into that."
Alonso is the youngest coach to manage a men’s European final since Roberto Di Matteo oversaw Chelsea’s Champions League victory in 2012.
He will also become just the fourth person to play in and manage a major European final this century after also playing in the 2005 and 2007 Champions League finals with Liverpool.
Reflecting on his time at Leverkusen, Alonso said: "I was so young in this coach career, so when I was offered the Leverkusen job, so it was 'let's go, let's see what happens'.
"In one year and a half, so much has happened; it has been a great experience, and it has only been a year and a half, but we have made so many right decisions.
"I think we have great chemistry. The mentality we have shown throughout the year has been fantastic. I am really enjoying it."
Putellas signs two-year deal with Barcelona
Barcelona midfielder Alexia Putellas has signed a two-year deal until 2026, the club announced on Thursday.
Putellas was due to be out of contract next month, but extends her 12-year relationship with Barcelona, with the new deal also including an option for an additional season.
The 30-year-old is a two-time Ballon d’Or winner in 2021 and 2022, though she has struggled with injuries that have kept her sidelined since winning the second.
Overall, she has made 424 appearances, scoring a record 189 goals for the club, playing a pivotal role in Barcelona’s recent domination in women’s football.
Putellas has won 29 major trophies with Barcelona and is looking for another on Saturday when they face Lyon in the Champions League final.
Having already clinched Liga F, the Copa de la Reina and the Spanish Supercopa this season, Putellas can help Barcelona to complete an unprecedented quadruple with a win over the French champions.
Sargent earns recall as Pulisic, Balogun and Adams headline USA's preliminary Copa America squad
United States coach Gregg Berhalter has named a 27-man preliminary squad ahead of the Copa America.
Josh Sargent, the Norwich City forward, has earned a recall to the USA squad for the upcoming friendlies against Brazil and Colombia, and is set to feature for his country for the first time since 2022.
With first-choice right-back Sergino Dest injured, meanwhile, Berhalter has turned to Nashville SC's Shaq Moore in defence.
Christian Pulisic, Tyler Adams, Matt Turner, Weston McKennie and Brendan Aaronson are among the established names to feature.
Former Arsenal forward Folarin Balogun, who opted to represent the USA rather than England, has also made the cut, as has Coventry City's Haji Wright, who has had a strong season in England's second tier.
Berhalter explained Sargent had been called up to give him another option in attack, with Wright seen primarily as a wide option.
"Between their club form and what they've done for the national team in the past, we think it's a talented group of strikers," he said.
Giovanni Reyna, the 21-year-old Borussia Dortmund attacker who has been on loan at Nottingham Forest since January, has also been included, despite a feud between Berhalter and the playmaker's family in the wake of the World Cup.
Antonee Robinson has had another impressive season with Fulham, and has been called up alongside club-mate Tim Ream.
Former Manchester City goalkeeper Zack Steffen was a notable omission, as were MLS stars Jesus Ferreira and Jordan Morris.
"This summer presents an opportunity for us to progress and grow as a team as we continue to build towards the 2026 FIFA World Cup," Berhalter said.
"We have a talented group of players and are excited about the opportunity to compete against some of the best teams in the world."
Berhalter will cut down his squad after the friendlies, with Copa hosts USA taking on Uruguay, Paraguay and Bolivia in Group C.
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