Kyle Newbould: I watched Leeds United's 1-0 win vs Brighton - here are my 3 key conclusions
Key takeaways from a dramatic victory as Leeds United ended their 2025/26 Elland Road campaign on a high.
Leeds United enjoyed a joyous end to their 2025/26 Elland Road campaign on Sunday after beating Brighton 1-0. Dominic Calvert-Lewin netted the winner deep into added-time, capitalising on a nightmare Jan Paul van Hecke back-pass before rounding goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen and rolling into an empty net.
Daniel Farke had a number of injury issues to manage heading into Sunday but despite missing several key players, Leeds did well to stifle their Champions League-chasing visitors. Brighton were guilty of snatching at chances after upping the tempo and Calvert-Lewin had no such issue when an opening was presented to him.
Victory pulled Leeds onto an impressive 47 points, enough to see them climb up to 14th in the table. Below, the YEP looks at a few key takeaways from a brilliant final home game of the season.
Ethan Ampadu importance clear
This week had been the ‘most difficult’ all season for Leeds and injuries, Farke admitted earlier this week. He was without Jayden Bogle, Gabriel Gudmundsson, Ilia Gruev, Noah Okafor and Facundo Buonanotte against Tottenham, losing Pascal Struijk mid-game and then Ethan Ampadu to illness ahead of Brighton.
Ampadu was, by Farke’s own words, a ‘major doubt’ for Brighton having missed training on Friday but he recovered enough to start. He also played the full 90 minutes, produced a goal-saving clearance and pretty much dominated his area of the pitch with another classy performance.
Sunday was not the first time Ampadu has overcome fitness doubts and it’s testament to his importance that Farke has regularly pushed such limits with his captain. Leeds must tie their Welshman down this summer, it might be one of the most important pieces of business they do.
Double Leeds United World Cup concern
With the World Cup just 24 days away, any serious injuries can kill hope of a trip across the Atlantic and fresh concerns emerged for two Leeds hopefuls on Sunday. Brenden Aaronson was forced off with a dead-leg mid-way through the second-half but it was an issue for Anton Stach that fuelled concern.
The midfielder landed awkwardly following an aerial challenge with Carlos Baleba and was writhing in pain, initially trying to play on before having to be stretchered off, shirt over face. Stach is not guaranteed a place in the Germany squad but might feel the closest he’s been in years. It would be so cruel to have that hope quashed in such fashion.
"The opponent fell on his knee or ankle," Farke said of Stach after full-time. "He tried to keep going on. I hope it's not too bad but it was too painful [to continue]. The World Cup is around the corner and fingers crossed it's not too bad. It would be just guessing for me. Ankle injury, we have to wait on what the medical team says."
Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s England edge
England manager Thomas Tuchel was at Wembley for Saturday’s FA Cup semi-final and will at least have had one eye on Elland Road a day later, with two England striker hopefuls going head to head. Calvert-Lewin and Danny Welbeck have both enjoyed excellent campaigns and at kick-off, were both on 13 Premier League goals.
Welbeck had moments for Brighton but most notably saw one effort brilliantly stopped from going in by Ampadu before his removal on 64 minutes. Opposite number Calvert-Lewin got 90-plus and that proved crucial, his pouncing on a Van Hecke hospital ball coming five minutes into added-time.
That’s now 14 for Calvert-Lewin this season, more than Welbeck and level with Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins as the joint-highest scoring Englishman in the Premier League. He’s scored three in his last three games, too. Just in time for Tuchel’s England squad announcement on Friday.