Leeds United moved a step closer to Premier League survival after climbing nine points clear of the relegation zone with an emphatic win over Burnley at Elland Road.

Anton Stach opened the scoring for the hosts in the eighth minute, before Noah Okafor and Dominic Calvert-Lewin struck in quick succession after the break to lift the Whites up to 14th place.

The victory takes Daniel Farke's side to 43 points - and no team with that tally has been relegated in a 38-game Premier League season.

Loum Tchaouna netted a consolation goal for the already-relegated Clarets, but it could not inspire a fightback and their winless league run stretched to nine matches.

Leeds opened the scoring early on when Stach - passed fit to start after sustaining an injury against Chelsea on Sunday - received the ball from Jaka Bijol and drilled an effort into the bottom corner from distance.

It was the German midfielder's fourth goal of the season from outside the area - the most of any top-flight player.

And it was one-way traffic from there as Leeds dominated possession, with Stach looking set to double his tally before a last-ditch intervention from Quilindschy Hartman.

Managerless Burnley - who parted ways with boss Scott Parker in midweek - had their best chance of the half in the 45th minute, but Jaidon Anthony's header was blocked by team-mate Zian Flemming.

There was no danger of Leeds resting on their laurels after the restart as Okafor doubled his side's lead inside seven minutes with his sixth goal in seven games.

The Switzerland forward was on hand to finish Jayden Bogle's cross after a sweeping move started by Calvert-Lewin.

Four minutes later, Calvert-Lewin made sure of the result as he pounced on a mistake from Martin Dubravka to score his 12th league goal of the campaign.

Burnley managed to pull a goal back through Tchaouna inside the final 20 minutes - but a 23rd defeat of the campaign keeps them 19th in the table.

By the full-time whistle, the relief inside Elland Road was palpable.

Goalscorers Calvert-Lewin and Okafor shared an embrace, while manager Farke unleashed a series of first pumps towards the supporters basking in the moment in West Yorkshire.

Leeds have claimed bigger scalps in the league this season - notably against Chelsea and Manchester United - but this win was perhaps their most important of the campaign.

The three points all but secures the club's top-flight status for another season. It is a feat that felt like a distant dream a few months ago when they were slumping in the autumn.

While the champagne will remain on ice for a few more days until survival is mathematically confirmed, Leeds can finally begin to turn their attention to next year and plan for another season in the Premier League.

It has been a challenging campaign, but after this 3-1 win Leeds can breathe a huge sigh of relief.

It has been a bruising few days for Burnley.

Only eight days after their relegation to the Championship was confirmed, the club announced head coach Parker had left his position by mutual consent.

Less than 48 hours later, this defeat underlined the contrasting fortunes of the two sides since their return to the Premier League.

Last May, Leeds pipped Burnley to the Championship title on goal difference after both sides amassed 100 points.

But nearly 12 months on, the gap between them is far more significant - now standing at five places and 23 points.

That is because Leeds, despite a stuttering start, have emerged as one of the top flight's surprise packages this season. Farke's side have won 10 of their 35 games and are all but safe from relegation.

Burnley, by contrast, have managed just four wins all season and have been stuck in the relegation zone since November.

This is not just a defeat that must serve as a lesson, but the season as a whole. Since their relegation in 2022 after six consecutive years in the top flight, Burnley have yo-yoed between the top two tiers.

It is clear that the model Burnley are working towards has it flaws and will require significant changes in the summer if they are to not only secure another promotion, but to re-establish themselves as a competitive Premier League side.

Next up for Leeds is a trip to Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on 11 May (20:00 BST), while Burnley host Aston Villa on 10 May (14:00 BST).