Wayne Routledge’s winner was his second successive goal for Swansea after scoring against Cambridge United
Swansea City replaced Leeds United at the top of the Championship after Wayne Routledge’s late goal secured a sensational victory at Elland Road.
Routledge struck in the 90th minute to maintain Swansea’s unbeaten start under Steve Cooper and inflict Leeds’ first defeat of the season.
Marcelo Bielsa’s side dominated but their finishing let them down.
The Swans are now two points clear at the top of the table, while Leeds drop down to third, below Charlton.
Relive Saturday’s EFL action
Both sides had won four and drawn the other of their five Championship games ahead of the Elland Road meeting.
Leeds were top at the start of the day thanks to a marginally better goal difference than second-placed Swansea – and they started well.
Mike van der Hoorn almost turned a stray Stuart Dallas cross into his own net while Gjanni Alioski and Patrick Bamford had two chances apiece.
Swansea’s response came from a free-kick after Jack Harrison was fouled on the edge of the area but Matt Grimes curled his effort into the side netting.
Leeds nearly went ahead on the stroke of half-time when returning skipper Liam Cooper nodded a corner against the frame of the goal before putting the rebound over.
The hosts started the second period as strongly as they had finished the first, with Bamford slicing an effort wide and former Swan Pablo Hernandez being denied by Freddie Woodman.
Substitute Eddie Nketiah latched on to a through ball only to fire over the bar.
Swansea felt they should have been awarded a penalty after Sam Surridge went down, but referee Darren Bond was unmoved.
Nketiah almost scored late on, heading wide from Dallas’ cross when under pressure from Woodman.
It was to prove costly when Leeds failed to clear a corner allowing Routledge to fire home a low effort.
Leeds head coach Marcelo Bielsa:
“The individual performance of the players was positive.
“Our players played a little under the level that they have. We had the ball constantly. We defended well.
“We created enough chances to deserve two or three goals. The chances that the opponent team had was in relation to the corners, and more from the second balls after the corners.
“We had a high possession of the ball. We attacked with calm. This is the analysis of the game.”
Swansea City head coach Steve Cooper:
“It’s the perfect result, with a clean sheet away from home. We had to work hard for it.
“I liked us defensively. Anyone that comes here knows they are going to have moments where they are going to have to defend properly and we did that.
“Any game away from home in this league is a test but it’s all about what we do. There are some areas we would definitely like to improve on but there are some areas that went well.
“I said before the game that these are games that we’ve got to be excited about. You can’t come here and fear, you can’t come here and hide. You’ve got to come and enjoy it and we did that.”
Line-ups
Match Stats
Live Text
Leeds
13Casilla
15Dallas
5White
6Cooper
10AlioskiBooked at 21minsSubstituted forDouglasat 83’minutes
23PhillipsBooked at 90mins
19Hernández
43KlichSubstituted forHélder Costaat 72’minutes
4Forshaw
22Harrison
9BamfordSubstituted forNketiahat 61’minutes
Substitutes
1Meslier
3Douglas
14Nketiah
17Hélder Costa
28Berardi
38McCalmont
46Shackleton
Swansea
27Woodman
23Roberts
5van der Hoorn
4Rodon
24Bidwell
6FultonBooked at 78mins
8Grimes
22A AyewSubstituted forByersat 85’minutesBooked at 90mins
21DhandaSubstituted forRoutledgeat 63’minutes
10Celina
9BastónSubstituted forSurridgeat 63’minutes
Substitutes
1Nordfeldt
15Routledge
19Surridge
20Wilmot
26Naughton
28Byers
41Garrick
Referee:
Darren Bond
Attendance:
34,935