Paul Merson does not believe Leeds United will get the three points required to keep them in the Premier League on Sunday.
Merson was writing in his latest predictions column for Sportskeeda where he laid out his expectation for ‘an end-to-end gung-ho’ 90 minutes of action.
The Whites host Tottenham Hotspur at Elland Road knowing nothing other than a win will give them a chance at securing survival.
Heading into the final day, Leeds sit 19th and two points adrift of Everton in safety, who are set to face Bournemouth at Goodison Park.
To stay up, Leeds will need to beat Spurs, while Bournemouth win at Everton and West Ham United avoid defeat at Leicester City.
They can also survive if they defeat Spurs by a minimum of three goals and Everton only pick up a point, with Leicester, of course, also failing to win.
Merson predicts goals
Ultimately, given the situation Leeds are in they are going to have to attack against Spurs as a draw is of no use to anyone.
That can often be recipe for disaster for Leeds, though, given how leaky their defence is and any spaces they leave will be taken advantage of by the likes of Harry Kane and Heung-Min Son.
It is for that reason Merson is predicting an entertaining game of football with Leeds ultimately coming up short in their hopes of surviving.
“This is a hard one to call as both teams have been quite unpredictable in recent weeks. Leeds United played half of West Ham’s reserves the other day and managed to lose despite taking the lead, while Tottenham’s away record is atrocious, to say the least.
“A draw is no good for either team, so I think this will be an end-to-end gung-ho football match. It’ll suit both teams and if you’re watching this game as a neutral, I think it’ll have bags of goals.”
Prediction: Leeds United 2-2 Tottenham Hotspur