Joel Piroe's masterclass inspired a rampant Leeds United to a 6-0 thrashing of Stoke City, leaving the Championship leaders within touching distance of promotion.

Piroe plundered a hat-trick inside the opening 20 minutes of Monday's match at Elland Road, where Leeds ran riot.

The forward opened the scoring in the sixth minute and then doubled up two minutes later.

He was on hand to tap in from a loose ball in the 20th minute to round off a stunning start, with Junior Firpo soon making it 4-0.

Piroe bundled home a fifth just before half-time, and Wilfried Gnonto then headed home from Manor Solomon's pinpoint cross midway through the second half, meaning Leeds will go up should Sheffield United fail to beat Burnley later in the day.

It took just 19 minutes and 10 seconds for Joël Piroe to score a hat-trick for Leeds United against Stoke City this afternoon. pic.twitter.com/RWMgI5VTVl
— Opta Analyst (@OptaAnalyst) April 21, 2025

Stoke's heavy defeat does leave them at slight risk of getting dragged into the relegation picture, and there was plenty of drama at the wrong end of the table.

Cameron Brannagan's stunning 79th-minute equaliser for Oxford United denied Aaron Ramsey a win on his bow as Cardiff City's interim boss.

Oxford scored with their only attempt on target, having accumulated only 0.07 expected goals (xG).

It leaves Cardiff on 43 points, level with bottom-place Plymouth Argyle, who overcame Frank Lampard's Coventry City 3-1.

Coventry remain sixth, though, with Middlesbrough going down 2-1 at Sheffield Wednesday in what is heating up to be a tight race for the play-off spots.

Indeed, fifth-placed Bristol City also slipped up, with Luton Town boosting their own survival hopes with a 3-1 victory.

Thelo Aasgaard opened the scoring, but George Tanner pegged Luton back before Carlton Morris and Isaiah Jones made sure of the points for the Hatters, who sit 22nd.

Luton are behind Derby County on goal difference, after the Rams all but ended West Brom's play-off ambitions with a 3-1 win at the Hawthorns.

Joe Gelhardt was the hero for Hull City, as his double earned a comeback win over Preston North End, leaving the Tigers two points clear of the drop with two games to play.

WE KEEP FIGHTING!!! #hcafc | @mscores_ pic.twitter.com/wDZaFUhBY5
— Hull City (@HullCity) April 21, 2025

Data Debrief: Piroe powers Leeds towards promotion

Even if their celebrations are put on ice later on Monday, Leeds' job is surely done now? And Piroe will take all the plaudits.

Piroe's hat-trick is the earliest scored in the English Football League (Championship, League One or League Two) since James Beattie for Sheffield United against Leicester City in April 2008 (19 minutes).

The last Leeds player to score four in a match was Ross McCormack, against Charlton Athletic in November 2013.

Daniel Farke's team, meanwhile, became the first team to be 4-0 up inside 30 minutes in a Championship match since Norwich City against Huddersfield Town in April 2021.