Leeds’ Sky Bet Championship title charge was checked as they were held to a frustrating 1-1 draw at Elland Road against battling play-off chasers West Brom.
Junior Firpo headed Daniel Farke’s side into an early lead before Darnell Furlong equalised with a looping header before the break as the Baggies’ steely resolve was rewarded with a point.
Leeds were denied a sixth straight win, but extended their unbeaten league run to 17 matches. West Brom’s winless league run on the road extended to 10 games.
The Whites are now eight points clear of Burnley, who sit third and lost at Preston in the FA Cup, while second-placed Sheffield United play at QPR in a 3pm kick-off.
West Brom went close to snatching an early lead when John Swift steered a golden chance narrowly wide from the edge of the penalty area and the visitors were made to pay soon after.
Dan James curled in an excellent cross from the left and Firpo stole in behind West Brom skipper Kyle Bartley to head Leeds in front in the ninth minute.
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Junior Firpo heads Leeds in front early on against West Brom at Elland Road.
Firpo had headed Leeds’ late equaliser in their 3-1 win at Bramall Lane on Monday night from a similar James’ cross, while the Dominican Republic left-back now has three goals and eight assists this season.
est Brom were undeterred after falling behind. They soaked up more pressure as Leeds probed for another goal and threatened again when Adam Armstrong’s close-range effort was well blocked by Illan Meslier.
The Baggies then silenced Elland Road with an equaliser six minutes before half-time.
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Darnell Furlong brings West Brom level with a superb header against Leeds United.
Swift launched a free-kick from a central position beyond Meslier’s far post and the unmarked Furlong looped his header back over the Leeds goalkeeper and inside the opposite post.
Leeds began the second period with renewed purpose, with Manor Solomon’s shot deflected for a corner, but West Brom were intent on not being outfought, nor conceding an inch.
James had one shot blocked and another comfortably saved by Joe Wildsmith and Ao Tanaka’s effort was also deflected for a corner.
Joel Piroe fired weakly at Wildsmith before the Baggies served another warning as Furlong headed over from in front of goal.
Mateo Joseph clipped the crossbar for Leeds with a rising drive just minutes after replacing Brenden Aaronson, while Callum Styles’ last-ditch challenge on James in the area typified the Baggies’ resilience.
Bartley threw himself at James’ cross to deny Joseph and James flashed a shot narrowly wide in the closing stages as the visitors held on for a hard-earned point.
The managers
Leeds’ Daniel Farke:
“It’s not frustration. Sometimes you have to settle and live with a draw and we can do this today.
“Obviously, we are used to winning games, especially home games, and we are are disappointed it’s not a win.
“You could see their equaliser coming because we didn’t fight like in the games before, with the knife between the teeth.
“We played with a bit of over-confidence and perhaps enjoyed ourselves too much and we lost a bit of our dominance and control over the game.”
West Brom’s Tony Mowbray:
“The energy was there the effort was there. We’ll take the point, but there were opportunities for us and we could have won it and we could have lost if of course. We were playing against a very good team.
“This will give the lads confidence knowing they can go anywhere in this league and compete.
“(Leeds) are very, very good. I’m sure in my mind that they are going up.
“I think for this football club it’s about what they do in the summer. I had a chat with Daniel, how much are they going to spend? How are they going to survive?
“Southampton and Leicester were amazing teams last year in this league and they can’t win a game. So is that going to be Leeds next year?
“There’s always this thing at the back of your mind – ‘what are we going to do in the summer?’ Are Leeds going to spend £200million just to give themselves half a chance?
“Or are they going to go with this team and probably get relegated by February? I don’t know the answers.”
