LEEDS UNITED and Burnley have BOTH sealed promotion to the Premier League.
Championship leaders Leeds thrashed Stoke City 6-0 earlier in the day to ensure they would clinch automatic promotion providing Sheffield United did not beat Burnley in the late kick-off.
The Clarets’ 2-1 victory not only sent Leeds up, but also secured the their promotion to the English top-flight.
Leeds and Burnley are level on 94 points with two games remaining and will now battle to become Championship champions.
Josh Brownhill’s double over Chris Wilder’s third place team, saw Scott Parker‘s side climb back into the Prem at the first time of asking.
The Burnley captain gave his side a 28th-minute lead, firing home from close range, before scoring a penalty after Tom Cannon denied the home side a record-equalling 30th clean sheet in a single season.
Sheffield United have to settle for a place in the play-offs despite amassing 86 points this season.
Meanwhile, Leeds, who spent the most days at the top of the Championship this season – before dipping into third for a while – put last season’s play-off final defeat by Southampton right.
Daniel Farke’s side blew Stoke away at Elland Road at 3pm – then really celebrated at around 7.30pm when the full-time whistle went at Turf Moor.
At that time, Burnley’s players dropped to their knees in euphoria.
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Clarets manager Parker became visibly emotional on the pitch and later in the stands with his family.
Parker – who is unbeaten at home this season – only took over in July from Vincent Kompany and yet has masterminded an incredible season.
And he has also maintained his 100 percent record in winning promotion after taking up Fulham in 2020 and Bournemouth two years later.
And Sky cameras panned to the champagne celebrations at Elland Road, where the Leeds squad and their staff went wild.
Meanwhile, Burnley fans had stormed the pitch to party alongside their players.
But the joy threatened to be marred by shocking scenes involving Sheffield United ace Hamza Choudhury.
Burnley players were able to celebrate on the pitch with ‘We are a Premier League side’ printed on T-shirts.
Leeds had to be content with raising a toast backstage, as their game finished at least two hours before.
Leeds star Joel Piroe put them on the brink with an incredible FOUR-GOAL first-half blitz against Stoke.
The Dutchman ended a nine-match goal drought in spectacular fashion by nabbing a a 20-minute hat-trick – the fastest in the club’s history– before making it 5-0 before half-time after Junior Firpo’s fourth goal of the campaign.
Willy Gnonto made it six in the second half.
The rout also made it 89 goals for the season – beating the club record of 84 set by Don Revie’s legendary 1969-70 side.
"Stoke simply have no answer to this Leeds attacking machine"
— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) April 21, 2025
Joel Piroe has his FOURTH and Leeds have their FIFTHpic.twitter.com/xid7yfUIQ6
Sorry Stoke, four points clear of relegation in 17th spot, crumbled as Leeds turned on the style.
Ironically, it was against a Mark Robins side last April where they began to wobble in the promotion race.
A 2-1 defeat at Coventry was one of four in a horror six-match run-in that saw them agonisingly miss out on a top-two spot, before faltering in the play-off final.
If there were any fears of another late-season Leeds collapse, they were gone within eight memorable minutes as it was Robins’ Stoke side who fell apart under the relentless pressure of the hosts.
Like rampaging, raging bulls, Leeds were simply unstoppable as they over-ran the visitors and punished a string of defensive errors.
For the sixth-minute opener, three times Stoke were sloppy in possession to the build-up and how they were punished.
Gnonto slipped a pass inside to the supporting Manor Solomon and he picked out Piroe to fire home.
There was relief as he rejoiced, not just for the forward after his scoring woes, but the fans crammed inside Elland Road.
“No Piroe, no party” they sang – and his much-needed first strike in ten games calmed the nerves and got them in the mood to celebrate.
Just two minutes later, Stoke forward Bae Jun-ho lost the ball on the left-hand side and Jayden Bogle burst forward and found Piroe, who calmly steered in his second.
After his worrying run and calls for Patrick Bamford to replace him in the starting line-up, the Dutchman showed his class and composure, and justified Farke’s faith.
Piroe was suddenly the smiling assassin and a first hat-trick in senior football was confirmed in the 20th minute.
The lively Gnonto again unsettled the Stoke backline and when his low shot was pushed out by Viktor Johansson, there was Piroe to slam home from a couple of yards at the back post.
"It is just ridiculously easy"
— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) April 21, 2025
Leeds have got SIX GOALS before the hour mark at Elland Roadpic.twitter.com/r9bZ2KbaVb
And Leeds showed no mercy to their shell-shocked opponents when Bogle drove a 26th-minute cross into the box and it was directed into the net by full-back Firpo’s shin.
But, as magnificent as Leeds were as a team, the half belonged to Piroe and he claimed his fourth goal four minutes before the break.
When the brilliant Bogle powered into the box and struck the post with a fierce drive, the rebound fell to the frontman to steer past Johansson as Brenden Aaronson failed to get a touch on the line.
Not since 1938, when they beat Leicester City 8-2, had a Leeds player scored five times in a match.
But Piroe could not match Gordon Hodgson’s club-record feat as he was taken off in the 66th minute, greeted by a big hug from boss Farke as he was replaced by Bamford.
By then, Leeds had scored a sumptuous sixth.
After busy Stoke keeper Johansson had shovelled away a Solomon effort, the on-loan Tottenham forward set up Gnonto in the 59th minute with a wonderful whipped cross that was headed home by the unmarked Italian.
There was time too for a bit more history as Harry Gray, the younger brother of Tottenham’s Archie, was handed his debut at 16.
The midfielder followed in the long line of Grays to play for the club as great uncle and Elland Road icon Eddie watched in tears from the stands.
But those soon turned to cheers as they, and Leeds, lapped up the scintillating success to edge closer to a place back in the big time.
