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Property experts believe Leeds is becoming an increasingly fashionable home for bright young professionals from outside London, but as compelling as their arguments may be, the city lacks one vital magnet: a Premier League football team.
Or at least it is at the moment. If the outstanding Crisencio Somerville, Wilfried Gnonto, Archie Gray and company play as intelligently and insightfully as this in championship play-off final at Wembley on Sunday week, that shortcoming will surely be remedied.
Having seen a stunned Norwich not so much beaten as utterly destroyed, neither Southampton nor West Bromwich Albion – who meet in the second semi-final on Friday night – will relish the prospect of facing Daniel Farke’s sharp passing, a side steeped in final worth at least £135m to the winner.
The Leeds manager twice led Norwich to promotion and he had the measure of them here. “It was a great night for us,” said the German. “My young players have been brilliant, but when Elland Road is rocking, this place is second to none. It’s too early for praise and self-love, but we have a great chance to write another chapter in the history of this incredible club.”
Norwich’s manager, David Wagner, was less animated. “It’s low,” he admitted. “Leeds were very good but we were obviously very poor. Everything you don’t have to do, we’ve done. We were second in all matches. We switched off. The tale does not have a happy ending.”
The night ended with Kaizer Chiefs I predict a riot blared from the sound system at Elland Road but started with anarchic defending, destroying Norwich’s hopes of reaching the Premier League.
They allowed Ilija Gruev to curl in a masterful free-kick in the seventh minute to escape the reach of a completely beguiled Angus Gunn after Marcelino Nunes had leveled Joe Rodon and Leeds won the set, playing wide on the right and almost 30 yards out.
Virtually everyone, including Gunn, expected Gruev to cross into the box, but noticing that the Norwich keeper had moved to the far post, the midfielder instead used his left foot to send the ball curling low at the near post.
Farke’s side had finished 17 points clear of Wagner’s side and, as if to underline that difference, Norwich had just 20% possession at times. They quickly conceded a second goal when an incredible early cross from Gnonto took Gunn off his line, leaving the keeper stranded as an unmarked Joel Pirro arrived at the right place at the right time to put Leeds further ahead.
It sparked a heated exchange between Wagner centre-halves Shane Duffy and Ben Gibson before, more positively, inspiring Norwich’s first and almost last attack. That progress ended with Ilan Meslier making a superb save to deny Josh Sargent after the striker had deceived Ethan Ampadu.
Leeds were otherwise so dominant that last Sunday’s caution and guile scoreless first leg on Carrow Road has become a fading memory. Norwich simply couldn’t cope with the slickness and ingenuity of the one- and two-touch passes of Farke’s players, not to mention the devastating change of attacking pace that Gnonto and Somerville delighted to display on numerous occasions.
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They fell further behind when Jorginho Rutter slotted the ball into the back of the net via the underside of the bar. The French striker has been struggling since undergoing hernia surgery in March but, returning to his impressive best here, reacted sharply when, despite going down, Somerville somehow managed to slide the ball to him.
That goal began Norwich’s dissection in the face of Pirro’s left-footed advance. Pirro, who started in place of the injured Patrick Bamford, excelled offensively, tormenting the Wagner defense.
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With the truly excellent Gray looking every inch a Premier League player at right-back, Leeds were convincing all over the pitch. Summerville deservedly scored their fourth goal, completing a move that had begun after Gunn parried Gnonto’s shot and Junior Firpo headed the ball back into his path.
Leeds fans have long enjoyed twirling blue and yellow-trimmed white scarves over their heads, but now they finally feel confident enough to alternate chants of “We’re Going to Wembley” with “We’re Marching Together”.
Verbal and visual definitions of triumph are rarely more convincing.
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