Leeds run riot as Championship leaders hit Cardiff for seven at Elland Road

Leeds United maintained their two-point lead at the Championship summit as a rampant Elland Road display earned them a 7-0 victory over Cardiff City. 

Brenden Aaronson got Leeds off to the perfect start after finishing from Daniel James' cross in the sixth minute, with the Welshman turning provider for Manor Solomon soon after. 

James then got himself on the scoresheet five minutes after the break before winning a penalty from Callum O'Dowda which Joel Piroe dispatched to put the result beyond doubt. 

Daniel Farke's side continued to ramp up the pressure and netted their fifth of the contest when substitute Wilfried Gnonto glided into the box before finishing past Jak Alnwick. 

Mateo Joseph then grabbed a goal from the bench before Piroe notched his brace to pile more misery on Cardiff in second-half stoppage time, inflicting the Bluebirds' heaviest loss in 70 years.

At Pride Park, Ben Brereton Diaz's first goal for Sheffield United since rejoining the Blades earned them a 1-0 win over Derby County to boost their automatic promotion push. 

Southampton loanee Brereton Diaz, whose first spell at United ended in Premier League relegation last term, turned home Tom Cannon's low ball home at the far post four minutes after the interval.

After Chris Wilder's side went ahead, Kenzo Goudmijn and Lars-Jorgen Salvesen headed just over in search of an equaliser and a reprieve for the struggling Rams. 

The leveller never came and boos rang around Pride Park at full-time, as Derby were left languishing third from bottom of the table and two points from safety.

Victory keeps Sheffield United second, but moves them three points clear of third-placed Burnley, who played out a goalless draw with Portsmouth.

For Derby, however, it is now their worst losing run for 17 years, equalling what they did in 2007-08 when they went down with the lowest points tally in Premier League history.

At the opposite end of the table, two goals in 11 minutes from Ryan Hardie earned bottom club Plymouth Argyle a huge 2-1 win over promotion hopefuls West Bromwich Albion. 

West Brom looked on course for a second straight win under returning boss Tony Mowbray when substitute Jayson Molumby fired them ahead from close range on 74 minutes.

But the Pilgrims drew level just three minutes later when Callum Styles handled the ball in the area, with Hardie stepping up to send the spot-kick past Alex Palmer. 

Hardie then grabbed the winner two minutes from time after sneaking in behind the Baggies defence, slotting home to end Plymouth's 15-game winless run and earn their first triumph under new boss Miron Muslic. 

The win for Plymouth lifted them to within four points of safety, while Mowbray's side remain sixth, but under threat of being overtaken by Monday if the Baggies boss' boyhood club Middlesbrough avoid defeat in the local derby at home to another of his former clubs, Sunderland.

Coventry City continued to impress under Frank Lampard as Brandon Thomas-Asante grabbed a goal and an assist to earn the Sky Blues a 2-1 win over Swansea City. 

Ellis Simms' hooked finish gave Coventry an early lead as Swansea struggled to adapt to life after Matt Grimes, their former captain, who signed for the Sky Blues on Friday.

Thomas-Asante's moment of brilliance doubled the lead before half-time, the striker punishing an error in midfield with a glorious first-time shot from distance which dipped just under the crossbar. 

Coventry are now within touching distance of the play-offs after earning their fourth successive league win, while the pressure continues to pile on Swansea boss Luke Williams. 

The Swans have now taken just one point from their six Championship games in 2025, seeing them slide down to 17th and just seven points above the relegation zone.