Dominic Calvert-Lewin struck deep into stoppage time as Leeds United snatched a dramatic 1-0 victory over Brighton, damaging the Seagulls’ hopes of securing European football next season.
Brighton dominated much of the contest at Elland Road and registered 19 attempts on goal, but their inability to convert chances proved costly.
With the match heading towards a goalless draw, Jan Paul van Hecke’s weak backpass gifted Leeds a golden opportunity in the 96th minute.
Calvert-Lewin reacted quickest, rounding goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen before calmly slotting home to spark wild celebrations among the home crowd.
Remarkably, it was Leeds’ first shot on target of the afternoon.
The defeat leaves Brighton seventh in the Premier League table on 53 points, holding onto a Europa League spot for now but only narrowly ahead of Brentford and Sunderland heading into the final day of the season.
Leeds, meanwhile, climbed to 13th place with 47 points.
A quiet opening period burst into life shortly before half-time when Pascal Gross forced Karl Darlow into a superb full-stretch save.
From the resulting phase of play, Van Hecke missed a glorious opportunity from close range as Brighton failed to capitalise on their pressure.
At the other end, Verbruggen was almost caught out moments later when Joel Veltman’s clearance deflected dangerously towards his own goal, forcing the Brighton goalkeeper to scramble the ball behind.
Brighton increased the intensity after the restart and created several excellent opportunities.
Danny Welbeck saw a goal-bound effort brilliantly cleared off the line by Leeds captain Ethan Ampadu, while Diego Gomez also came close midway through the second half.
Leeds threatened sporadically, with substitute Joel Piroe narrowly missing the top corner from distance, before Calvert-Lewin’s dramatic intervention settled the match in injury time.
Brighton arrived at Elland Road knowing victory would guarantee European qualification for only the second time in the club’s history.
Instead, Fabian Hurzeler’s side now head into a nervy final weekend with several clubs still fighting for the remaining European spots.
The Seagulls improved significantly after half-time, producing 13 of their 19 shots in the second period and generating an expected goals tally of 2.76, but Darlow repeatedly denied them with a string of impressive saves.
Their failure to convert those opportunities means Brighton’s slim Champions League hopes have effectively disappeared, and they must now beat Manchester United on the final day to secure European football next season.
Leeds have already secured Premier League survival after spending much of the season battling near the bottom of the table, but recent uncertainty surrounding manager Daniel Farke’s future has created fresh questions.
Farke recently suggested he may not remain at the club unless the ownership matches his ambitions in the transfer market, though the German has also made it clear he wants to stay.
This victory provided another reminder of the progress Leeds have made under his leadership.
Despite spending long spells under pressure, Leeds defended resiliently before finding a decisive moment through Calvert-Lewin’s late strike - a fitting conclusion to their final home game of the season.
The result also marked Leeds’ first Premier League win over Brighton after seven previous attempts and lifted them to 47 points, comfortably surpassing totals from their last two top-flight campaigns.
The only sour note for the hosts came with an injury to midfielder Anton Stach, who was stretchered off following a challenge from Carlos Baleba, raising concerns over his hopes of making Germany’s World Cup squad.
