Ivan Toney passed the 50-goal mark for Brentford in style with a superb hat-trick to condemn Leeds to a second successive Premier League away defeat.
The win lifted Brentford to seventh in the table, while Leeds slipped to ninth and are still seeking their first victory on the road this season.
Toney opened the scoring with a penalty, awarded after a foul by Luis Sinisterra and a long VAR intervention, then doubled the hosts’ lead with a superb free-kick, and chipped in his third after the break.
Sinisterra had made it 2-1 just before half-time, but then came Toney’s hat-trick goal, and a red card for Leeds boss Jesse Marsch, sent off after urging referee Robert Jones to use the monitor to review a challenge by Aaron Hickey on Crysencio Summerville.
Marc Roca gave the visitors hope again, but Bryan Mbeumo put Brentford 4-2 up before Yoane Wissa added a late fifth.
Toney’s landmark goal to open the scoring might not have had too many home fans anticipating a record-breaking afternoon for Brentford.
Despite the absence of in-form Rodrigo – the victim of a painful shoulder injury against Everton on Tuesday that is expected to keep him out for weeks – Leeds had been a threat in an entertaining first half until then.
Toney brought up his half-century for the club in the 30th minute with a powerful spot-kick placed beyond Illan Meslier, with Sinisterra judged to have fouled the striker following a pitchside monitor check by referee Jones.
As with his penalty, Toney’s free-kick flew into the left-hand corner of Meslier’s net after the 26-year-old had scarcely taken a run-up to his strike, demonstrating his expert technique in a performance that will amplify calls for an England call-up.
Summer signing Sinisterra atoned for his costly foul on Toney with third goal in three starts for his new club shortly before the break, skipping past Rico Henry after collecting a Ben Mee flick and drilling a composed low finish beyond the advancing David Raya.
Patrick Bamford, who was introduced at half-time as Leeds boss Marsch looked to build momentum, troubled Brentford with his direct running and sent a shot wide within minutes of coming on.
Toney punished Leeds to make it three before the hour mark, seizing on a defensive mix-up when Diego Llorente failed to clear with a perfectly weighted chip from outside the penalty area to beat the stranded Meslier and desperately backtracking captain Robin Koch.
American Marsch was then dismissed, and had to watch from afar as Bamford misfired from point-blank range and Marc Roca shot straight at Raya from close quarters, but the Spanish midfielder gave Leeds hope by making it 3-2.
There were 63 seconds between Roca hitting back for spirited Leeds and Mbuemo making it four for Brentford, with Wissa ensuring Brentford scored five goals in a top-flight game for the first time since 1938.