With Leeds United now focusing solely on the race for promotion from the Championship after being knocked out of The FA Cup on Saturday, 15 games separate Daniel Farke’s men from the top tier.
Saturday’s 2-0 loss to Millwall might see the end of an unbeaten run, but Farke will be looking at the positives behind closed doors. It means an extra few days of rest when Leeds may have had a fixture.
Before the win over Coventry, Carlton Palmer said Leeds needed 30 points from the remaining 48 and Leeds secured a 2-0 win over Frank Lampard’s side. If it is nine wins required, Leeds have 15 games left.
Top of the pile after 31 games, Leeds are two ahead of Sheffield United with Chris Wilder’s side starting the campaign on -2. Burnley sit in third, five points off Leeds going into the final third of the season.
Where Leeds United sat after 31 games back in 2019-20
Marcelo Bielsa’s promotion year finished a whole lot better than it started. The Argentine had to tend with a Leeds squad that had been beaten in the play-offs, like gaffer Farke, but sat in second after 31.
Leeds won the Championship by a whopping 10 points in 2019-20, but still only won 93 points that campaign. After 31 games, they were on 55 points – 11 less than Leeds currently have under Farke.
Leeds have won 19 Championship games this term, whereas Leeds had 16 wins from 31 under Bielsa in 2019-20. Interestingly, Leeds have a goal difference better than double Bielsa had at this stage in 2020.
Leeds went on an incredible run in last 15 games under Bielsa
After a 2-0 loss at Nottingham Forest in February 2020, Bielsa’s Leeds went on an incredible run that saw The Whites obtain a huge 38 points from the next 15 games. An average of 2.53 points from a possible 3.
Fast forward until now, Leeds have averaged 2.12. If they clocked up another 38 points like Bielsa did in their last 15 league games, The Whites would finish on a massive 104 – a total that seems largely unlikely.
But Leeds have done it before. According to Palmer’s estimation, Leeds need nine wins and that would take them to the 93-point mark Bielsa’s side finished on to win promotion a whole five years ago.
Receive a digest of our best Leeds content each week direct to your mailbox
