Chelsea stroll to victory and crank up pressure on 10-man Leeds

It is beginning to look like no amount of motivational quotes can save Leeds United’s Premier League status. For all of Jesse Marsch’s effusion about how the likes of Mahatma Gandhi have seeped into his team talks since arriving at Elland Road, there is no substitution for keeping your composure in the heat of battle when it truly matters.

This was another defeat for Leeds, their third in succession, and the second in a matter of days in which a first-half red card has made an already difficult task even more arduous. There is no suggestion Dan James’ tackle on Mateo Kovacic after half an hour here decisively swung the balance of power in Chelsea’s favour, but after Luke Ayling’s moment of madness at Arsenal on Sunday left Leeds with an uphill task, this is becoming a worrying trend at precisely the wrong time.

Realistically, Chelsea were too good for Leeds even without James’s dismissal. They were already ahead before that thanks to Mason Mount’s strike after just four minutes, and they had the possession and chances to increase that lead further. But when James was dismissed, any notion of Leeds salvaging something faded. They were then put to the sword after half-time as goals from Christian Pulisic and Romelu Lukaku inched Chelsea ever closer to a top four finish.

After a chastening period for Thomas Tuchel, this was an encouraging and ultimately comfortable way to warm up for Saturday’s FA Cup Final. As for Leeds, they host Brighton on Saturday before a trip to Brentford on the final day knowing six points may not be enough to keep them up, though the suggestion they could even muster back-to-back victories is, on recent evidence at least, somewhat optimistic.

With Ayling suspended, Marsch delivered on his pre-match