Leeds sniffed vulnerability and went for the kill in 4-1 horror show for Newcastle, writes CRAIG HOPE - this was a brutal reality check and warning over where season could end up

For Newcastle, this was the night when the result finally caught up with performance.

Unbeaten in three at the outset of the Premier League and lauded for their summer business, autumn and winter might not be so cheery on the evidence of this horror show.

Matthias Jaissle’s side were three down by half-time, and it was no surprise at all. Be that on the basis of what played out here or, more so, what your eyes have told you in the past ten days. An unconvincing 1-0 win at Millwall in the Carabao Cup came on the back of an equally sketchy 2-2 draw at home to Bournemouth, in which they trailed by two after 35 minutes.

This, then, was in the post, and Dominic Calvert-Lewin was the home side’s delivery man. He was not the only one to profit from opposition weak in the tackle, wayward in the pass and woefully short of ideas in attack.

Leeds captain Ethan Ampadu bossed a midfield that was superior by every metric. At times, you wondered if the hosts had an extra man. You wondered more how Newcastle have won such praise for their character and resilience in recent weeks. There were none of those traits on show this time.

But away from the mental strength that has underpinned their decent start, technical weaknesses were always likely to catch up with them. Newcastle’s numbers have not felt sustainable. They had conceded a league-high 45 shots over the first three games and, at the other end, their cumulative xG was just over one per 90 minutes.

This will infuriate traditionalists – those who cherish the scoreline – but an expected league position had Newcastle 19th going into this weekend. They occupy bottom spot in that particular table now.

A lot, it seemed, rested on the slender shoulders of Matias Fernandez-Pardo in reversing the numbers. The 21-year-old, a £51million marquee arrival from Lille this month, was making his full debut. ‘Eden Hazard without the end product’ was how one Belgian journalist described the forward on the day he signed, much to the irritation of black-and-white ears listening on local radio. So, was there any merit in the unflattering assessment?

After 25 minutes, the hot-takes felt cold, given Fernandez-Pardo had touched the ball only four times, and one of those was an accidental handball inside his own area. By the time he made way in the 57th minute, the touch count had reached 15, but none of them memorable. That was not his fault, it was more a sign of the failings in behind him. And, come to think of it, to the side of him, too.

So much for the theory that this version of Newcastle might be better suited to playing away from home. The logic is that they’re more about pace than precision. What they learnt here is that speed of foot counts for nothing when faced with speed of thought.

Daniel Farke’s side were brilliant. Their own three-match unbeaten start has now extended to four, and that feels like less of a mirage. This was Elland Road at its best, on the pitch and in the stands. They sniffed a vulnerable opponent and went for the kill. Calvert-Lewin’s strike, on the stroke of half-time, was the one that sealed the zip on the body bag.

That goal was about his force and Newcastle’s complete lack of it, the striker barging his way through Sven Botman before finishing from six yards. It was Leeds’ third goal in 13 minutes.

The opener was officially a Lewis Miley own goal, but it owed everything to Ao Tanaka, who started the move amid space in midfield and finished it amid space in midfield. It was his 20-yard shot that deflected in off the Newcastle youngster, who like many of his team-mates endured a torrid night.

His midfield sidekick, Sean Steur, was guilty of the stray pass that set Leeds on their way to a second, when Calvert-Lewin's header went in off Jayden Bogle from a James Justin cross. The striker out-jumped two Newcastle defenders – you can add desire to force.

The fourth, in the 59th minute, was a smart Noah Okafor finish after he reacted quickest to a loose ball from a long throw-in. But Leeds had been quicker to first, second and third balls all night.

There was one passage that captured Newcastle’s lame showing, and it did not end in a concession. Botman attempted to play a pass to fellow Dutchman Steur but the pair were not on the same page and Anton Stach was allowed to run clear. His delicate chip deserved a goal but rippled the side-netting. The home crowd on one side of the ground cheered in error. They were greedy for more by now and were soon chanting for five.

Newcastle’s fans had long since lost their voice and Baz Toure's 89th-minute consolation was met with muted celebration. Their solemn mood reflected a team who had made precious little noise on the pitch. This was a brutal reality check and serves as a warning for where their season could be headed.

Indeed, as a senior delegation from Newcastle filed through the scaffolding and temporary fixtures behind the West Stand before kick-off, it was a reminder of how they need to keep pace. Not just with Manchester City, Arsenal and Chelsea, but Leeds, a club who are perhaps a more relevant rival in the short term.

Their Elland Road expansion – and the ambition it signals – is still one signpost Newcastle’s Saudi-led owners have yet to plant on Tyneside. Without it, say insiders, the balance-sheet gap to the very top will be impossible to bridge.

For now, though, it is the chasm on the field that needs addressing.