Leeds manager Daniel Farke declared himself delighted with a point from a 2-2 draw at Watford in the final act of a dramatic day of Championship action.

Leeds required a 85th-minute equaliser from substitute Mateo Joseph to preserve his side’s unbeaten league start to 2024.

The Spanish striker, 20, netted just 25 seconds after coming on but a point was not enough to reclaim the Championship summit from Ipswich, 1-0 winners at Blackburn earlier in the day. Before that, Leicester – 1-0 losers at Bristol City in a lunchtime clash – had dropped out of the top two altogether.

Watford led twice in the first half through Vakoun Bayo and Emmanuel Dennis, who scored either side of a fine strike by the game’s outstanding individual, Crysancio Summerville. Watford looked like they might hang on for the win but Joseph had other ideas.

It was a point gained rather than two lost as far as Farke was concerned and the German outlined exactly why.

“I will take this point all day long,” he said. “I am really happy and proud of the boys. We played this game at the worst possible moment. Watford, they have a new manager and there is new belief, he knows the players inside out and they were unleashed and had a great start.

“We had the worst possible international break. For us three players came back injured and three Welsh players had the disappointment of not being allowed to go to the Euros. We had not one first team training session as a team.

“We had to play this game by just pressing a button and we were not at our best rhythm. Then to play such a second half, I’m pretty happy with the outcome.

“We found our rhythm and our confidence. If training didn’t matter we would just turn up for the games – it matters.”

“The coach said we have to be ready make an impact,” Joseph added. “I’m happy to help the team get a valuable point and we are happy still to be unbeaten in the League this year.”

Watford interim manager Tom Cleverley, whose first game in charge was a 1-0 win at Birmingham before the international break, was delighted with his players.

He said: “I thought it was a much stronger performance even though we have not got the three points. For the first 65 minutes we were excellent, I’m really proud of the players tonight.

“What pleased me most was the focus of the players, not one switched off

“Now my job is to create a game plan to win every game and I thought the players absolutely nailed it.”

Watford were more attacking than they had been in the last days of previous manager Valerien Ismael, which pleased the home fans.

Cleverley added: “Everyone wants to play front foot football but you have to be structured especially against a team like Leeds.

“The work that we put in in the last two weeks showed today. It was a big ask to come up against the league leaders but we more than held our own.

“We have got the personnel to do it and I thought it was the right opposition to do it against. We just tired a little bit at the end.”

Substitute Mateo Joseph netted a late equaliser to earn Leeds a 2-2 draw at Watford – but that was not enough to lift his side back to the top of the Championship table.

Mid-table Watford led twice before half-time thanks to goals from Vakoun Bayo and Emmanuel Dennis either side of a fine Leeds reply from Crysencio Summerville.

Leeds were in danger of suffering a first league loss of 2024 until 20-year-old Spaniard Mateo came off the bench and scored seconds later.

Leeds ended Good Friday in second spot however as Ipswich, 1-0 winners at Blackburn earlier in the day, are a point ahead.

Watford started brightly but their appeals for a penalty in the 12th minute when Ethan Ampadu appeared to catch Yasir Asprilla on a foot were rejected by referee David Webb.

Leeds replied with a shot from Summerville that Hornets goalkeeper Daniel Bachmann did well to palm round the far post.

It was Watford who took the lead in the 31st minute via a swift move down the right after Edo Kayembe had won possession. Asprilla was played in behind the Leeds defence and the Colombian pulled the ball back for Dennis to fire off a first-time shot. Leeds goalkeeper Ilian Meslier did well to parry it but Bayo was on hand to volley home the rebound.

Leeds needed a response and it was Summerville who provided it six minutes later. The winger cut in from the left and curled a superb shot beyond the reach of Bachmann to celebrate his 17th goal of a stellar season.

There was still time before the break however for Dennis to fire Watford back in front. The goal resembled Summerville’s as the Nottingham Forest loanee cut in – from the right this time – to get past challengers and then beat Meslier with a low drive.

Leeds began the second half looking for Summerville to make the difference again – and Bachmann had to make another save, this time at his near post.

Sierralta had to nod a Sam Byram header off the line soon after, although it would not have counted, before Bachmann tipped a Georginio Rutter drive over.

Both sides made changes before James tested Bachmann soon after with a shot that Patrick Bamford came close to diverting with a hopeful slide in front of the Austrian.

It was looking as though Leeds were going to have to accept defeat – until Joseph’s sudden arrival conjured up a clumsy but timely leveller.

The substitute had only been on the pitch for a few seconds when he forced the ball over the line in the 86th minute, at the second attempt.

Bachmann blocked his first shot in a six-yard box scramble – and when Lewis attempted to clear the striker deflected it over the line with a block of his own.

Chelsea survived an FA Cup scare as Conor Gallagher came off the bench to score a last-minute winner and seal a 3-2 victory over Leeds at Stamford Bridge.

The substitute lashed the ball past the visitors’ goalkeeper Illan Meslier to grab what had looked an unlikely victory for much of the game, never more so than when the Blues fell behind inside eight minutes to the first of two goals from Mateo Joseph.

Mauricio Pochettino’s side rallied and looked to have put their woeful start behind them when first Nicolas Jackson and then Mykhailo Mudryk netted to send them in 2-1 up at the break.

Leeds would not lie down easy though, and Joseph headed them level after evading Trevoh Chalobah at the far post on the hour mark.

The home support bubbled with disquiet, sensing another cup mishap after Sunday’s Carabao Cup final loss to Liverpool.

Then came Gallagher’s late intervention to keep hopes of a Wembley return in May alive.

The opening 10 minutes were dominated by Leeds. They might have taken the lead when Daniel James found space on the edge of the box and acrobatically lobbed an effort wide.

It was a let-off for Chelsea, but they did not heed their good fortune. From the goal-kick, Axel Disasi played a short pass inside the penalty area that left Moises Caicedo vulnerable. Leeds snapped at his heels, dispossessing him, and the ball broke to Joseph, who cracked it past Robert Sanchez as Chelsea’s defence pointed fingers.

The first mutterings of discontent among the home support started, but they were doused before they had time to take hold. Caicedo made partial amends for his earlier error, sliding a precise ball through that split Leeds’ defence. Into the space strode Jackson, and he placed it into Meslier’s bottom corner to ease Chelsea nerves.

Thereafter they settled, and deservedly took the lead after 37 minutes. Noni Madueke carried the ball up through midfield and poked it to Malo Gusto wide on the right. He fed Raheem Sterling, who crossed for Mudryk to cap the move with a delightful finish, glancing it with a deft right foot wide of the goalkeeper and in.

James skied one over the bar from six yards as Leeds threatened an instant reply. Jaidon Anthony went closer when he curled wide from outside the box, a reminder that a stiff challenge might await Chelsea in the second half.

Daniel Farke’s team had won nine in a row in the league. Here they went up against Premier League opponents with the courage and skill to suggest they would fare well should they return to the top flight, but their hosts were giving ample encouragement.

The equaliser was straight forward and entirely avoidable from Chelsea’s point of view. Anthony was given space on the right to assess options and size up a cross. Stealing away at the far post was Jospeh, and his marker Chalobah paid him little heed as he stepped outside the defender and nodded past an exposed Sanchez.

The murmurs of disapproval began again from the stands, though they were largely drowned out by the away fans’ vocal support. They deserved better than the heartbreak that came as the clock ticked over to 90 minutes.

Enzo Fernandez was the architect of the winner, darting infield and through the heart of the defence and finally finding the pass that Chelsea had craved throughout the half. Gallagher, with fresh legs from the bench, let the ball run across him and with a swing of his right boot lashed Chelsea into the quarter-finals.

Three extra-time goals fired Leeds into the FA Cup fifth round with a 4-1 win at Championship rivals Plymouth.

Substitutes Crysencio Summerville and Georginio Rutter combined to put United 3-1 up before a 117th-minute own goal by Argyle striker Ryan Hardie capped a comprehensive United win.

Leeds will now travel to Premier League Aston Villa or Chelsea on Wednesday February 28.

The replay sparked to life in the 13th minute when a brilliant through-ball from Sam Byram found Mateo Joseph on the run. Joseph beat marker Lewis Gibson in a tussle for the ball but Northern Ireland keeper Conor Hazard got enough glove on a rising shot to turn the ball onto the frame of the goal.

Leeds hit the woodwork again in the 20th minute as Glen Kamara teed up Joel Piroe on the edge of the box. Piroe’s thundering drive took enough of a deflection off Argyle central defender Brendan Galloway to take the ball on to the face of the bar.

Plymouth responded on the counter, with skipper Joe Edwards forcing a routine save from Illan Meslier after being set up by Morgan Whittaker.

Defender Byram made a superb clearance to keep the ball away from Callum Wright as Hardie’s pacy ball from the right beat Meslier in the 25th minute and skimmed across the six-yard box.

Joseph went close with a 55th-minute shot which took the faintest of deflections off central defender Gibson’s heel and flew just past the post, covered by a diving Hazard.

Leeds pressure eventually told as Wilfried Gnonto fired them ahead in the 66th minute with a superb, measured right-foot strike from the edge of the box to beat Hazard at full stretch. Gnonto benefitted from a superb pass from playmaker Kamara from the right.

Substitute Archie Gray announced his arrival with a stinging shot which flew just wide from 20 yards on 73 minutes.

Argyle levelled from a 78th-minute Whittaker free-kick from the left as teenage central defender Ashley Phillips looped the far-post ball over Meslier to Galloway, who chested the ball home.

Substitute Joe Gelhardt smashed a half-volley off the post in stoppage time, while Hardie forced a last-minute save from Meslier as Argyle responded positively.

Seven minutes into extra time Rutter put Summerville on his way to a brilliant individual goal as he cut in from the left before beating Hazard with a soaring strike.

As Plymouth pressed for an extra-time leveller, Summerville teed up Rutter to sweep home Leeds’ third goal in the 111th minute.

Argyle’s misery was completed when Ilia Gruev’s corner glanced off Hardie and skidded past his own keeper.