- Leeds United scored three goals in a frantic first half of Championship football
- Michael Carrick’s Middlesbrough also notched two in the first 45 minutes
- We expected perfection from VAR – we haven’t got it: Listen to It’s All Kicking Off
Leeds United’s little men Dan James and Crysencio Summerville led the charge as Daniel Farke’s side made it seven home wins in a row.
Promotion rivals Middlesbrough stunned Elland Road when Emmanuel Latte Lath opened the scoring with a superb third-minute strike.
Yet James headed in a cross from Sam Byram two minutes later and then Summerville did likewise from Archie Gray’s right-wing delivery in the seventh minute.
That capped a breathless opening and further chances came and went for both sides during an exhilarating first half.
Seven minutes before the break, Joel Piroe added a third from the penalty spot as Leeds made their class pay in front of their raucous home support.
Leeds United stay in third place in the Sky Bet Championship after strong win over Middlesbrough
Michael Carrick’s side now sit 12th in the league after 19 games, winning eight but drawing three and losing another eight
Promotion rivals Middlesbrough stunned Elland Road when Emmanuel Latte Lath opened the scoring with a superb third-minute strike.
Latte Lath scored again to make it 3-2 on the stroke of half-time but Boro had Anfernee Dijksteel sent off for a second yellow card in the 65th minute and Leeds held on.
Whether or not Farke can guide them to promotion from the Championship – as he did twice with Norwich City in the past five seasons – remains to be seen.
But this is a side dripping with attacking threat and when in the mood, as they were here, they can take some stopping. Especially on home soil.
You had to go back to 2009 when Leeds last won seven league in succession at Elland Road, back in the dark days of League One when they won 15 matches consecutively.
It was Michael Carrick’s visitors who struck first here, though, when Latte Lath collected possession inside the left channel.
He turned inside 17-year-old Gray and curled a superb right-foot shot into the net at Illan Meslier’s near post.
The response from Leeds was emphatic as Byram’s deflected let-wing cross was headed home by the diminutive James in the fifth minute.
Leeds began to pour forward and two minutes later Gray crossed dangerously from the right flank and the ball skimmed off a Boro defender’s head before being nodded in by Summerville.
The hosts continued to threaten as they went in search of further goals.
Former Manchester United man Daniel James gave Leeds United the lead after just five minutes
Crysencio Summerville added a second goal just two minutes later as Leeds stormed out the blocks
Meslier then did superbly to block Latte Lath’s low strike before Georginio Rutter had a shot saved by Seny Dieng.
Byram was then denied a penalty after going down under Morgan Rogers’ challenge before the lively Summerville had a shot deflected wide for a corner.
Seven minutes before the break, Leeds had their third when Boro defender Matt Clarke – who replaced the injured Paddy McNair moments earlier – felled Rutter inside the box.
Referee Darren England pointed to the spot and Piroe struck a firm left-foot penalty into the left-hand corner.
Latte Lath then headed in a corner on the stroke of half-time and Boro lost Dijksteel to a second yellow card in the 63rd minute for a lunge on James.
Although Leeds always threatened, the visitors came within inches of an equaliser after Sammy Silvera’s cross was deflected onto the inside of a post by Pascal Struijk.
From there Leeds cleared the danger as Joe Rodon blocked Rogers’ follow-up shot before ex-Boro striker Patrick Bamford came off the bench and saw his header saved by Dieng, who also kept out Piroe’s effort.
