Leeds United: Calvert-Lewin Says The Job Is Not Done After Burnley Win

Leeds United edged closer to guaranteeing Premier League survival with a composed 3-1 victory over relegated Burnley, yet Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Daniel Farke both stressed that safety is not confirmed until the numbers say so, even as Leeds climbed to 14th place and opened a nine-point gap above the bottom three.

That win extends Leeds United’s unbeaten Premier League run to six matches and lifts the club to 43 points, with a record of 10 wins, 13 draws and 12 defeats. No team has ever gone down from a 38-game Premier League season with that total, but Leeds still target one more decisive result.

Leeds United can mathematically seal another Premier League campaign with victory in their next fixture, against 18th-placed Tottenham. The London side remain locked in the relegation fight, so that meeting will carry major stakes. Farke and the squad understand that one more win would turn current confidence into confirmed top-flight status.

Calvert-Lewin has been central to Leeds United’s Premier League charge at Elland Road, scoring seven league goals at the stadium this season and 13 in total. The forward again found the net against Burnley, but repeated that personal targets remain secondary while survival is not fully secured in the table.

Asked about a possible World Cup place, Calvert-Lewin said longer-term ambitions are on hold until Leeds United’s Premier League status is guaranteed. "I'll be honest, it [the World Cup] is not something I look to," he told Sky Sports. "Most of my focus has been making sure we stay in the Premier League. That was objective number one, and until that is mathematically done, our job is not done, and my job is not done. A byproduct of doing well for your club is getting closer to the national team, so I can just keep scoring goals and putting in performances, and the rest takes care of itself."

Farke echoed that cautious message after the match, praising the performance while warning against complacency. "The three points are massive for us. I'm really proud of my boys for delivering in a crunch time period. The job is not done yet. We will celebrate properly when it's mathematically done. But 43 points is good."

Leeds United Premier League win and Burnley struggles

Burnley’s Premier League relegation had already been confirmed before kick-off, following a turbulent week that included the departure of Scott Parker. The defeat at Elland Road was Burnley’s 23rd league loss of the campaign, matching one of the club’s worst tallies across previous seasons at this level.

{TABLE_1}

Burnley’s defensive problems this Premier League season have often surfaced early in games. The side have now let in 10 goals inside the opening 10 minutes of league matches. In competition history, only Crystal Palace, who conceded 11 during the 2020-21 campaign, have allowed more in that specific period over one season.

Leeds United Premier League performance and match details against Burnley

Against Burnley, Leeds United took control quickly when Anton Stach struck after eight minutes, continuing the visitors’ issues with early goals. The contest stayed tight until the second half, when Noah Okafor and Calvert-Lewin scored in quick succession, effectively settling the result before Burnley found any response.

Loum Tchaouna did pull a goal back soon after those strikes, moments after Lucas Pires had a finish ruled out for offside. Even with that setback, Leeds United looked composed in Premier League control, managed the closing stages efficiently, and rarely appeared likely to surrender their advantage across the remaining minutes.

Central defender Maxime Esteve admitted Burnley’s poor starts have repeatedly damaged Premier League performances. "We started very bad," Maxime Esteve told Sky Sports. "And the same for the start of the second half, after we had some momentum. It was like the same against Nottingham Forest, when we concede some momentum, every team kills us, and we concede. And it's difficult to come back in the game. We have responsibility of everything. I have no problem with that. When you have 20 points, that's part of confidence. We have three games left. We try to give everything for us, to be proud of us. I know we're not proud of us because of the season, but we are also competitors."

Leeds United leave Elland Road aware that one more strong Premier League display, most likely against Tottenham, should finally remove any remaining threat of relegation. Burnley, already condemned to the Championship, face three closing fixtures focused on restoring some pride after a difficult campaign marked by frequent early setbacks and defensive lapses.