If Leeds United continue this form their Championship rivals will soon need binoculars

ELLAND ROAD, LEEDS — Dirty Leeds, beautiful Leeds: on a day when the two faces of the freshly damned United were on display, Marcelo Bielsa’s vibrant side moved five points clear at the top of the Championship and 15 away from Nottingham Forest just outside the play-off positions. Much more of this and Leeds’ rivals will require binoculars.

No grassy knoll was used in the beating of Derby County, rather a Bielsa combination of precision and rampage which at times overwhelmed Frank Lampard’s side.

Kemar Roofe scored the first and Jack Harrison the second – a goal in each half. In between, literally, No. 4 Adam Forshaw gave a mighty mini-Batty of a performance. Having lost their last two in the league, Leeds really wanted this. Whether it necessitated spying is another matter.

More controversy

Lampard, with some justification, will feel his players were undermined by ‘Spygate’. He and Bielsa took a while to shake hands before kick-off and there were a few tetchy moments. Lampard was reminded frequently of his Chelsea roots by the crowd. But Leeds look strong.

Read more: Leeds vs Derby ‘spygate’: Did Marcelo Bielsa cheat or is spying on your opponents fair game?

Given what had gone on, the last thing the game needed was another controversy. Inevitably it got one.

It was not a minute old when Ezgjan Alioski was felled in the Derby area by Andre Wisdom.

Referee Andy Davies pointed to the spot immediately. A linesman’s flag had been raised for offside, however, and a free-kick to the visitors was awarded. Replays showed that Alioski was clearly onside.

‘We’ll spy when we want’

It all added to the stew, as did a full house, as did a typically forthright Elland Road atmosphere. “We’re Leeds United, we’ll spy when we want,” they sang. Then they sang it again.

Leeds were being roared on and they set about Derby. Bielsa had described this as a match Leeds “need to win” and his players had obviously got the message.

That early penalty claim was followed quickly by a big chance for returning captain Liam Cooper – missed from close range – and Leeds were dominant by the time Roofe swept in the opener on 20 minutes. There was a spell in the first half when Leeds had 72 per cent possession.

Jack Clarke, the 18 year-old from York prompting premature comparisons with Eddie Gray, did nothing to quell them by rolling his foot over the ball as he glided past Craig Bryson. Clarke’s cross was low to the near post and Roofe met it with the certainty of a confident goalscorer. It was his 14th of the season.

Lampard left helpless

There were two minutes left in the half when Derby scratched out a first corner and Lampard had to do something if the second half was not going to be a similar procession.

He sent on attacker David Nugent on for defender Wisdom but Nugent was a bystander as Leeds grabbed their second.

On the right, Clarke again initiated it. Scott Carson was unbalanced stretching for Clarke’s cross, the ball ran to Alioski who pushed it back in front of goal where Harrison scored from a yard.

Three minutes later, Nugent was presented with his one opportunity when Bailey Peacock-Farrell raced 40 yards from his line inexplicably. It seemed about to go horribly awry but the keeper blocked.

It was a night when little went wrong for Leeds. The rights and wrongs of that will, of course, be debated.