Chelsea 3-1 Leeds United: Giroud and Zouma lead Blues to Premier League summit

Olivier Giroud’s hot goalscoring form continued as Chelsea came from behind to claim a 3-1 win over Leeds United in the Premier League on Saturday, sending the Blues top.

Former Chelsea player Patrick Bamford put Leeds ahead with their first shot of the game as Chelsea were punished on the counterattack.

Giroud, who scored all four of Chelsea’s goals in a Champions League win over Sevilla during the week, equalised just before the half-hour with an instinctive close-range finish.

Chelsea went ahead when Kurt Zouma headed in from a corner and the hosts finished Leeds off in stoppage time thanks to Christian Pulisic.

Leeds went ahead in the fourth minute when Bamford got on the end of a superb pass from Kalvin Phillips and nipped past Edouard Mendy before guiding the ball into the vacant net.

It helped Bamford, who left Stamford Bridge in 2017 without making a first-team appearance, take his tally of Premier League away goals to seven – the joint-best alongside Tottenham’s Son Heung-min and Leicester’s Jamie Vardy.

Timo Werner should have done better when the ball dropped to him from a corner but he could only scuff a close-range finish and then somehow struck the crossbar when it seemed easier to score.

Chelsea got themselves back on level terms when a low cross from Reece James was met by Giroud, who directed the ball past Leeds goalkeeper Illan Meslier at his near post.

Frank Lampard was forced to make a change when Hakim Ziyech left the field clutching his hamstring and was replaced by Pulisic.

The intensity of the first half continued after the break, with a last-ditch block denying Raphinha for Leeds before Werner saw two efforts saved by Meslier.

Zouma climbed highest to meet a Mason Mount corner just after the hour and powerfully headed the ball past Meslier to put the home side ahead.

The Chelsea defender has four goals in 10 Premier League games this season, as many as he managed in his first 141 games in the competition

Pulisic put the gloss on the result in the third minute of added time when he tapped home from Werner’s cross as Leeds were caught on the break.