Leeds woes deepen as Jefferson Lerma takes Bournemouth away from danger

Before kick-off a montage featuring Sylvester Stallone as Rocky Balboa appeared on the big screens in opposite corners of the stadium and for Leeds defeat in Bournemouth amounts to a knockout blow. With a tricky run-in to navigate this game was widely viewed as win or bust in Leeds’s fight to retain their Premier League status but Bournemouth feasted on some slack defending to effectively secure survival and deepen the visitors’ problems. Leeds continue to hover a point above the relegation zone but their position in the top flight appears increasingly delicate.

The outlook does not look good for Leeds. They have taken one point from the last available 15 and conceded 23 goals across their past seven matches, only one of which they have won. Their alarming form predates Javi Gracia’s arrival in February, though. Since Leeds won the reverse fixture 4-3 at Elland Road in November they have picked up only three league wins. Worse still, they have three of the top five left to play, starting with a trip to Manchester City next weekend. Only Nottingham Forest have recorded fewer points on their travels this season.

April has been a truly miserable month for Leeds supporters, who again repeatedly called for the dismissal of Victor Orta, the club’s director of football. Leeds have become the first top-flight side to concede more than 20 goals in a single month since Newcastle in April 1986 and the reality is the margin would have been even heavier had the substitute Kieffer Moore buried a free header with nine minutes left to play. Before then Marc Roca wellied an effort at goal from distance and the Bournemouth captain, Neto, made a fine double save to deny Wilfried Gnonto.

Leeds began the better team but fell behind on 20