Daniel Farke had no need to ­channel his inner Marcel Bielsa and send any spies to watch Derby train this past week to know that, even with eight changes to his starting XI, his Leeds squad had more than enough Premier League class to overcome mid-table Championship opposition. Goals from the fringe players ­Wilfried Gnonto, Ao Tanaka and James ­Justin enabled Leeds to bounce back from their dramatic 4-3 defeat at Newcastle and overcome Ben Brereton Díaz’s first-half goal.

Leeds have lost just once in nine games now and, as well as an eight-point buffer from the relegation zone, can now countenance the prospect of an FA Cup run. “We’re not favourites for the FA Cup,” Farke, the Leeds manager, said, “but it’s a competition for fairytales as well. I don’t want to speak about Wembley today but it would be great to write another chapter for this fantastic football club.”

Leeds were below par initially, the impressive Joël Piroe having a ­penalty saved, but did not have to up their game too dramatically to take charge. The voluble Leeds following were soon chanting ‘We’ll spy when we want’ as their side turned the game on its head by the hour mark.

With all the history surrounding this midday kick-off, it was a tame opening half-hour before Leeds increased their intensity to earn the chance to go ahead. Even with their much-changed lineup, the running off the ball and incision of passing of the top-flight side suggested an opening goal was incoming. The fact it then went to Derby was an adrenaline surge for the neutral.

Piroe had just shot off the inside of the near post when Lukas Nmecha ran off the back of Danny Batth and was upended by Jakob Zetterström as the Derby goalkeeper came flying out.

Joël Piroe sees Jacob Zetterström save his penalty. Photograph: Ed Sykes/Action Images/Reuters

Piroe, who top scored for Leeds with 19 goals as they won the EFL Championship title last year, knew this was a rare opportunity to shine as he plays second fiddle to Brenden Aaronson and Dominic Calvert-Lewin this season. But Zetterström dived adroitly to his right to save the spot-kick. The Derby crowd’s euphoric celebration was contagious.

Within two minutes 30 seconds, Corey Blackett-Taylor attempted to cut back inside from the left and, when his attempted shot was blocked, the ball rebounded for Brereton Díaz to angle home a drive into the far corner.

Zetterström continued his heroics, saving superbly from another drive by Piroe, who responded to his penalty miss by becoming increasingly influential. The stage appeared set for a resounding second half. That prospected was dulled by two Leeds goals within four second-half minutes though.

The spice behind this fixture dates back to the 1970s, when the clubs vied at the top of the old First Division and Brian Clough went from building a title-winning side with Derby to lasting only 44 days at Leeds. The rivalry was so intense it spawned the novel The Damned Utd, the film of which perhaps needed a sequel after the 2019 spying episode.

John Eustace joked in the buildup that he had sent his analysts up to watch Leeds train, as Bielsa had done before the teams’ Championship playoff semi-final in May 2019. Frank Lampard’s celebrations after Derby won that second leg at Elland Road only helped reignite the rivalry.

This game was feisty enough, after Derby went ahead, with Gnonto in particular coming in for some fierce tackles from the Derby defenders, though there was no sign of any modern-day fisticuffs as happened when Norman Hunter and Franny Lee were sent off in November 1975.

Eustace admitted his team tired in the second half, as Lewis Travis, the returning captain, had to go off after 11 weeks out with a calf injury, but was proud of their efforts and glad of the experience for the debutants Oscar Fraulo, signed from Borussia Mönchengladbach, and the academy graduate Owen Eames, and players returning from injury.

Farke, whose position was being questioned in November, was satisfied with his team’s performance after the first 20 minutes. “I told them at half-time to ‘stay cool, the goal will come’,” he said.

Gnonto blasted home the equaliser, after Piroe stepped over Jaka Bijol’s pass. Within four minutes, a sweet Leeds move ended with Zetterström only being able to palm aside Piroe’s shot from the edge of the area, and Tanaka turned in the rebound.

Leeds never let slip of their grip on this game for the remaining half hour, and in stoppage time, Justin turned home Nmecha’s squared pass as Leeds broke rapidly.