Albion 2 Leeds 0

Albion are on the brink of Premier League safety after completing the double over Leeds.

A Pascal Gross penalty and a superb Danny Welbeck finish secured the 2-0 win.

The Seagulls were dominant as they moved ten points clear of 18th place.

Adam Lallana was ruled out by a calf injury but Ben White returned after a one-match ban.

That enabled Gross to partner Yves Bissouma in central midfield in Lallana’s absence with Joel Veltman operating at right wing-back.

Dan Burn also returned to the XI, as left wing-back.

Leandro Trossard had two early efforts held by Illan Meslier, the first of them after cleverly making space himself on the left foot.

However the breakthrough came on 14 minutes.

Gross's initial free-kick from the right was poor but the ball fell to Welbeck, who was felled by an awkward challenge from Ezgjan Alioski.

Penalty duties were taken by Gross, who confidently drilled his finish low past Meslier’s right hand.

Leeds’ response was bright. They got some very dangerous balls into the box and Albion, notably Burn, had to work hard to get bodies in the way.

But Albion finished the half strongly and should have extended their lead.

Building on a one-goal advantage has been one of their biggest problems this season.

It was in evidence again here.

Welbeck forced an error from Diego Llorente and got the ball across goal but Trossard sent his shot too high from a great position.

Then Welbeck, to the left of goal, sent a low shot across the face of goal and wide of the far post from a tight angle.

That tone continued into the first minute of the second half when Burn made great inroads into the Leeds box and his cutback eventually fell to Veltman, who shot high into the North Stand from the edge of the box.

Bissouma encapsulated Albion’s busy performance by winning four 50-50s in quick succession.

But the second goal they craved was not forthcoming.

Albion went long to get Welbeck in behind to the left of goal.

Meslier was caught in No Man’s Land but got a hand to the ball and diverted it away from goal.

Adam Webster’s drive deep into Leeds territory with the ball at his feet led to a free-kick from which White looped a header on the roof of the net.

Leeds took off the ineffective Patrick Bamford, replacing him with Rodrigo, before that free-kick was taken.

But the chances kept coming.

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Veltman’s volley hit a defender from Burn’s clever delivery.

And Maupay miscued horribly to send the ball tamely wide when patient work by Trossard set him up in space near the penalty spot.

The fear was that those misses would come back to haunt the hosts although Lewis Dunk was masterminding a dominant home display at the back.

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Stuart Dallas flashed a volley not far over the bar from the edge of the box.

But relief came on the 80th minute.

As the ball dropped in the Leeds box, Welbeck took it down with a Cruyff style turn and then sent his shot low across Meslier and inside the far post.

Albion: Sanchez; Webster, Dunk, White; Veltman, Gross, Bissouma (Mac Allister 90+1), Burn; Trossard (Jahanbakhsh 80), Welbeck (Moder 89), Maupay. Subs: Steele, Alzate, Propper, Zeqiri, Izquierdo, Connolly.

Goal: Gross pen 14, Welbeck 80.

Yellow card: Gross (76) dissent.

Leeds: Meslier; Ayling, Llorente (Hernandez 79), Koch, Alioski (Poveda 46); Struijk; Dallas, Klich, Roberts, Harrison; Bamford (Rodrigo 59). Subs: Casilla, Berardi, Drameh, Shackleton, Jenkins, Huggins.

Yellow card: Ayling (88) foul.

Referee: Chris Kavanagh.