Leeds have delivered a superb 4-0 win at Burnley in the Premier League which would even have delighted their perfectionist coach Marcelo Bielsa.
After Mateusz Klich put Leeds ahead on the stroke of halftime on Saturday, they punished Burnley after the break as Jack Harrison added a second before claiming the two assists when Rodrigo came off the bench to score a brace.
It was the sort of stuff which illustrated why Leeds' return to the top-flight under Bielsa this season has been so welcomed - and it gave them a four-point cushion over 11th-placed Aston Villa before Dean Smith's side head to Crystal Palace on Sunday.
Burnley included three former Leeds players - Chris Wood, Charlie Taylor, and Bailey Peacock-Farrell - in their starting 11, but had little to compare with the flair running through this current side as they struggled to keep up after the break.
Leeds had already passed up golden opportunities for Pascal Struijk and Stuart Dallas before getting their first a minute before the break. Klich strode forward on a counter-attack and picked his spot to bend the ball inside the post.
Burnley were 2-0 down before the hour mark as Harrison got a touch to flick Ezgjan Alioski's low shot into the net.
Spain forward Rodrigo made a difference off the bench, going close to a hat-trick in his 30-minute cameo.
James Tarkowski had already made one goal-saving challenge to prevent Luke Ayling's cross from reaching the 30-year-old in front of goal before he got his first in the 76th minute.
His first touch from Harrison's pass carried him beyond Tarkowski and Ben Mee before a delightful flick lifted the ball over the advancing Peacock-Farrell.
Burnley were still reeling when Leeds carved them open again, Kalvin Phillips' superb pass finding Harrison who in turn fed Rodrigo, with the forward rounding the goalkeeper before slotting home.
In a later match, Nathan Tella scored his first goal for Southampton in a 3-1 win over already-relegated Fulham.
The midfielder came off the bench to net the second while Fulham's consolation came from 18-year-old Fabio Carvalho scoring his first goal for the London club.
Southampton took the lead in the first half when Che Adams scored from a James Ward-Prowse free kick.
Tella slotted home a second moments after coming onto the field on the hour mark.
Just as Southampton looked to be cruising towards all three points Carvalho pulled one back for Fulham with a well-struck shot off the underside of the bar.
Less than 10 minutes later, however, substitute Theo Walcott restored Saints' two-goal advantage with a clinical finish.
Australian Associated Press
