Brentford 1-2 Leeds: Delight for Jesse Marsch's side as Raphinha's penalty and Jack Harrison's late strike seal a famous win and their Premier League survival... while sending Burnley down!
- Leeds picked up a 2-1 win away at Brentford to secure Premier League safety on the final day of the season
- Raphinha won a penalty when he was brought down by goalkeeper David Raya shortly after half-time
- The Brazilian sent Raya the wrong way from the spot to open the scoring with his 11th goal of the season
- Sergi Canos levelled for Brentford before he was sent off two minutes later after earning a second yellow card
- Jack Harrison scored an injury time winner to end any chance of relegation for Leeds and secure their survival
Jesse Marsch was down on the floor but Leeds United were staying up. After a chaotic afternoon of phantom celebrations, west London whispers, VAR interventions, a red card and Brentford finishing the game with nine men, Jack Harrison’s added-time blast cut through the confusion.
Leading 2-1 and with Burnley losing by the same scoreline at home to Newcastle with seconds of the season to play, Leeds and their 1,700 supporters knew they were safe. Clarity, at last.
Marsch was on his back, grass stains added to the sweat stains of his crisp, white polo shirt. But, by now, the American was well and truly ruffled. His emotions had been pulled in as many directions as his defence have been in recent weeks.
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That backline was again the cause of palpitations here but it was those who can quicken the pulse at the other end who kept Leeds alive, Harrison and Raphinha the scorers to end a run of five winless matches which had made them favourites for the drop.
On reflection, Leeds were outside the bottom three from the 20th minute onwards, when Newcastle took the lead at Burnley. It did not always feel like that.
Fast forward to the 80th minute and with Brentford’s Sergi Canos having not long cancelled out Raphinha’s earlier penalty, a roar spread around the stadium.
‘Leeds are falling apart, again,’ they chorused from the home end. Burnley had equalised and Leeds were going down. Or so we assumed. Not so. Marsch instructed a member of staff to concentrate solely on events at Turf Moor — the misinformation from punters was too much to bear.
Amid all of this, Brentford had lost two players, a detail unknown to several of the visiting team until frantically informed by their manager. Canos was sent off for two yellow cards inside three minutes — removing his shirt after scoring and then for a foul on Raphinha. Defender Kristoffer Ajer had also retired injured with all substitutes already used.
Knowing Burnley were pushing for the draw that would have relegated Leeds, Marsch screamed at his players to go for the win. Four minutes into stoppage time the ball dropped to Harrison on the edge of the area. The winger’s shot was sweet but still needed a deflection to take it beyond David Raya. After a luckless season, at last a piece of good fortune. Leeds’ substitutes sprinted to join their team-mates in front of the travelling fans, the noise rendering silent the jumbo jets overhead en route to nearby Heathrow.
The full-time whistle was just about audible but there was no mistaking the sound of Marsch’s name emanating from the away end. Marcelo who? Perhaps that backing will send a message to the owners, who would have been having doubts about their bold appointment.
Marsch has tried letters from schoolchildren, quotes from Mother Teresa, JFK and even Eddie Gray, all in an effort to inspire his players. But here, it was the manager’s own confidence from which his team drew strength.
‘I believed we were going to do this — there wasn’t one day I didn’t believe and that’s why I never talked about being in the Championship,’ he said.
‘For me, this business is about belief and exuding it as a leader. I believed in our resolve and character. Everything we’ve been through has made us stronger, not weaker.
‘I’ve heard this a lot about Leeds United in the community and that we always think we have to do it the hard way. Honestly, part of the job of being the manager of this club is to change that mentality, to say we deserve more than that. We have an incredible club. We have an incredible team.’
Losing the fit-again Patrick Bamford to Covid on Thursday had the feel of fate conspiring against Leeds. He would have been watching from behind the covers of his sick bed early on.
If Leeds’ situation were not so perilous, you may well have laughed at their nervy mishaps. They kicked off and contrived to concede a corner within 10 seconds. Goalkeeper Illan Meslier then ran into captain Liam Cooper when attempting to clear, and the keeper was soon spilling the ball through his own legs before scrambling to recover as it rolled towards his goal.
But Leeds suddenly morphed into a serious outfit. They were in control when a hearty roar from their fans told them that Burnley were losing.
Almost immediately Leeds had the ball in the net when Joe Gelhardt finished emphatically but — after a minute of rampant celebration — it was ruled offside. Still, they had the Newcastle goal as consolation.
Leeds eventually went ahead on 56 minutes. Raya gifted the ball to Raphinha and duly brought down the Brazilian when trying to correct his mistake. Raphinha made no such error from the spot. Then, another cheer, Newcastle were 2-0 up. Then, Burnley scored. Then, another cheer — who knows what for this time.
Canos levelled with a smart header but was soon sent off. The dismissal was missed by many given the celebrations in the stands. And where had Ajer gone? It was mayhem. Come the end there was only one thing of which we could be sure, Leeds United were a Premier League club.
Scroll down to see how it all unfolded with Sportsmail's live runner.
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Spencer Morgan Host commentator
They've sealed it!
Harrison secures survival.
Into added time in both games...
Burnley heading down unless we get some late drama.
Canos is the fifth-fastest substitute to be sent off in the Premier League this season (16 minutes and 14 seconds).
Save.
Taylor swings in a deep cross and Cornet rises highest to steer a header towards the far corner! However, Dubravka acrobatically leaps to keep it out.
Burnley win a succession of corners, but Newcastle deal with each one.
Big miss!
Barnes gets to the byline and hammers in a low cross towards the six-yard box, Weghorst lunges to try and tap it in, but he can't make a firm enough contact and trickles wide!
Moments after scoring, Canos is off!
He picked up a yellow for taking his shirt off after scoring and he's just got another for bringing down Raphinha.
From hero to zero.
Here we go...
Maybe Burnley aren't done after all.
Brentford level through Canos. Just one point in it as things stand.
Off the line! Cornet rises highest to direct a header at goal, but Lascelles is there to hook it off the line! The resulting corner amounts to nothing.
Gelhardt is taken off and replaced by Struijk.
Sorensen goes off for Baptiste.
A glimmer of hope.
Maxwel Cornet pulls one back with a rebound.
Canos replaces henry.
It goes from bad to worse for Burnley!
Saint-Maximan puts the ball across goal for Wilson to grab his second.
Leeds just have to finish the job and Burnley are down.
Dasilva replaces Jensen.
Raphinha puts it away with aplomb, sending the keeper the wrong way and putting the ball high into the corner.
Big goal.
A gift from Raya, who clears the ball straight to Raphinha and then brings him down trying to make amends.
The Brazilian will take.
Save!
Raphinha has a lot of bodies around him down the right, but he manages to squeeze a cross into Rodrigo at the near post. He takes the shot quickly, but Raya gets down to make a smart save.
Newcastle are unbeaten in their last eight Premier League matches when leading at half-time (W6, D2) dating back to August 2021.
A really poor start to the half from Leeds, who have barely had a touch of the ball.
They can't rest on their laurels here.
An attacking change for Burnley as Weghorst comes on for Roberts.
Both games are back underway.
Chance!
Cooper loses the ball just outside his own box and Janelt slides it through to Mbuemo on the right of the box. He hits a low shot across goal, which beats Meslier, but it rolls wide.
Burnley have really struggled to to find any sort of rhythm. They desperately need to get a foothold in this game and soon.
Save!
Great play from Mbuemo, who nutmegs Firpo on his way into the box before pulling it back to Janelt, who tries to chip Meslier. The keeper tracks back and pushes it over.
Toney makes space for himself after receiving the ball from Eriksen but doesn't catch the strike cleanly.
Burnley fly forward with a two-on-two on the break, but Roberts's pass into the six-yard box is cut out by Burn.
A chance for Wissa to play Mbuemo in on the break but he gets the ball wrong.
Tarkowski fires a long ball over the top in search of Cornet, but it's too powerful and it runs behind for a goal kick.
here are shouts for a penalty for a handball against Jansson as Firpo's cross hit him but the referee isn't inerested.
As things stand, Burnley are going down.
Leeds have the ball in the net but it won't count.
Rodrigo clips a ball over the top for Gelhardt, who runs through and finishes with aplomb,
Replays show he was narrowly offside and VAR chalks it off.
Wilson makes no mistake, sending the keeper the wrong way.
Pope makes a mess of Guimaraes' corner, only managing to push it on towards the back post where Collins appears to use his hand to help push it to safetyy.
A VAR check leads to a penalty.
Save!
Guimaraes hits an awkward 20-yard effort towards the bottom corner that Pope just abot manages to push to safety!
Brentford win a free-kick down the right and it's a wonderful delivery from Eriksen across the face of goal. Nobody in the middle can make contact with it and Mbuemo fires his volley into the side netting.
It looks like a serious one for Joelinton. What a sad end to a great season.
A forced early change for Newcastle as Joelinton stays down injured after a collision with McNeil.
He's replaced by Murphy.
Almost a chance as Cooper tries to shield the ball back to his keeper but almost allows Toney to steal in.
Fortunately for him, Meslier comes out to clear.
Fairly cagey starts to both games. No surprise with so much at stake.
Taylor almost gets in behind the Newcastle defence following Brownhill's pass down the line, but it just rolls out of play.
Both games are about to get underway.
A huge afternoon for both clubs.
Both Leeds and Burnley come into the final day on 35 points but Leeds find themselves in the relegation zone due to goal difference.
There's a 20 goal difference, meaning Leeds will have to get a better result today to stay up.
And welcome to Sportsmail's love coverage of the relegation battle.
Norwich and Watford have already gone down but either Leeds or Burnley will be joining them.
They both enter the final day on 35 points with Burnley having a slight advantage due to a superior
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