London (AFP) – Marcelo Bielsa saw his Leeds United side put an end to a slump in form by going top of the Championship after a 2-0 victory over bottom club Ipswich Town on Wednesday.
The 63-year-old Argentinian manager — whose team had won just once in their last five outings prior to Wednesday after making an explosive start — looked on as goals by Kemar Roofe and captain Liam Cooper secured the points in front of almost 30,000 fans at Elland Road.
That was sufficient to send them top on goal difference ahead of Middlesbrough and Sheffield United, both of whom had been held to draws on Tuesday.
Former England midfielder Frank Lampard appears to have slipped seamlessly into management as his Derby County side routed West Bromwich Albion 4-1.
Victory — their second over promotion rivals in as many matches having beaten Sheffield United at the weekend — not only handed out a second successive defeat to West Brom and prevented them going top, but also moved the visitors to within two points of the top three.
Leeds took control of their game early on with Roofe heading home Spanish playmaker Pablo Hernandez’s cross.
Ipswich, with just one win all season, rarely threatened and the hosts should have sealed the three points well before the impressive Hernandez teed up Leeds’ second, passing to Cooper who rifled the ball into the net from the edge of the penalty area in the 66th minute.
Lampard’s face bore a beaming smile throughout the match with West Brom, Derby taking the match by the scruff of the neck with two goals in the first 15 minutes.
Jack Marriott — profiting from a woeful back-pass by Jay Rodriguez — and Welsh international Tom Lawrence gave the Rams a two-goal advantage.
Rodriguez went close to redeeming himself shortly before half-time, his half-volley being turned away for a corner by former England international goalkeeper Scott Carson.
However, Derby wrapped it up six minutes into the second half when Lawrence’s Wales team-mate Harry Wilson struck a sublime third, his third in seven appearances since joining on loan fom Liverpool.
Derby turned it into a rout when Scott Malone added a fourth in the 71st minute, sending the home fans scurrying for the exits and missing Rodriguez’s late consolation.
