Leeds United have been handed a whopping 74.94% chance of earning promotion to the Premier League by data analyst experts Opta.
The Whites have been in electric form as of late, losing just one of their last 12 league games. They showed their resilience on Sunday when they twice came from behind to beat Swansea City 4-3. It was a came which also saw the Welsh outfit score a 90th minute equaliser to bring the scoreline back to 3-3 before Wilfried Gnonto netted the winner just a minute later.
It was a result which moved Leeds to the top of the Championship for the first time this season. With Sheffield United breathing down their necks, they showed their quality at Elland Road last night by beating Luton Town 3-0.
Bounce Back After Heartbreak
Leeds were widely tipped as one of the favourites to win the Championship this season after suffering heartbreak at Wembley Stadium in May. Daniel Farke’s team were locked in a three-way battle for promotion last season, although eventually fell short as Leicester City and Ipswich Town finished first and second.
The Yorkshire-based outfit did finish the campaign on 90 points, making them the favourites to earn that third promotion spot via the play-offs. However, they fell at the final hurdle with a 1-0 defeat against Southampton.
Promotion A Formality?
According to Opta, Leeds are nailed on to finish in the top two. It is said that they have a 74.94% chance of finishing in the top two, although with Sheffield United also in contention, they have a 49.34% chance of winning the title. That’s almost double that of the Blades though, with Chris Wilder’s team given a 27.40% possibility of being crowned champions.
Supporters will be hoping their side can keep up the momentum and avoid slipping into the play-off places again. The memories of last season will still be fresh and a repeat of that here would be viewed as a disaster. However, Opta believe the odds of that are slim, believing there is just a 24.08% chance of finishing between third and sixth.
Writer’s View
Whilst Sheffield United have been excellent this season, Leeds do look the stand out team in the Championship by some distance. This was evident when they beat the Blades in October, but also in their more recent games. Last night’s victory over Luton was more than comfortable, whilst their resilience to grind out a win at Swansea at the weekend when they were not at their best showed character. It’s still tight at the top, but Leeds look nailed on to return to the Premier League.
Head of Writing
