Leeds United vs Huddersfield Town. Sky Bet Championship.
Elland RoadAttendance36,813.
Report and free match highlights from the Sky Bet Championship match between Leeds United and Huddersfield Town at Elland Road on Saturday | Crysencio Summerville scores twice and assists another in win
Saturday 28 October 2023 16:03, UK
Leeds thrashed Huddersfield 4-1 at Elland Road to keep their bid for a return to the Premier League on track.
Dan James and Crysencio Summerville both hit first-half doubles as Daniel Farke's men finally produced the sort of free-scoring display their dominance at home has threatened all season.
James opened the scoring after 20 minutes before Summerville added the second on the half-hour.
James soon added the third and Summerville completed the Leeds scoring on a day when the home side threatened to get at least twice as many.
Michal Helik netted a consolation for the visitors with 20 minutes remaining as Darren Moore's side looked more compact after the break.
James fired in the opener from 25 yards as Leeds eventually made their early pressure pay and there was no way back from Huddersfield as they had little to offer at this point save for an off-target effort by Delano Burgzorg.
Summerville picked his spot for the second as the visitors' defence failed to cope with Leeds' free-flowing style with forward Georginio Rutter once again proving a handful.
It did not take long for Leeds to add a third and Rutter was involved once again, laying the ball off to Summerville, who burst from his own half to set up James.
The winger was able to take his time before firing a shot across Lee Nicholls which the Huddersfield 'keeper could do little about.
Leeds could have had another but Nicholls this time proved equal to a Summerville shot and James blazed the rebound over.
Rutter again provided the chance for the fourth Leeds goal which came in first-half stoppage time.
He burst down the left and cut the ball back for Summerville who had time to turn twice inside the area before beating Nicholls with a shot which went through a crowd of players.
Any thoughts Leeds fans had of a second-half rout were dispelled by a more compact Huddersfield who benefitted from two changes at the break.
Leeds worked hard for a fifth goal and also took the chance to make changes of their own to give needed game time for some of their fringe players.
A mistake by Leeds goalkeeper Illan Meslier gave Huddersfield the chance to score a consolation after 70 minutes.
Meslier was unable to hold a shot from Sorba Thomas from outside the area and Helik had timed his move to stay onside and fire in the rebound from close range.
But that was as good as it got for Moore's side on a day when they were well beaten by opponents who reside at the opposite end of the Championship table.
Leeds' Daniel Farke:
"In terms of end product [Summerville] has improved a lot in comparison to the start of the season.
"I think he was already playing on a top level but it is necessary for a young player to develop so that he is getting goals and assists.
"(In training) We are always bringing him into situations where he has to finish, where he has to find the finishing pass under pressure.
"It is about consistency, so a really good week in terms of end product but come on, keep going."
Huddersfield's Darren Moore:
"It's a disappointing afternoon. It's probably capped off what's been a bad week for us results wise and in terms of performance.
"They went 1-0 up and we had a chance and if we could have capitalised on that… After that Leeds got two quick goals.
"We got into some wonderful threatening areas. When we got the ball around the Leeds area we just chose the wrong pass.
"The two quickfire goals from Leeds took the game away from us. We know they are a threatening team, certainly here."
