Joel Piroe has been lethal in front of goal of late, having a hand in 18 goals in 31 Championship games despite only starting 21 of those for Leeds United this season.
The club’s top scorer, Piroe already has 13 goals and is just one behind last season’s tally of 14. Piroe has also eclipsed last term’s three assists, laying on five goals for Daniel Farke’s side already during 2024-25.
Mateo Joseph was given a rare start for Leeds against Millwall in The FA Cup on Saturday but failed to take his chance. Farke was critical of Joseph’s display and Piroe is likely to replace him straight away.
Watford away is next up for Leeds with 15 Cup finals left to go before The Whites find out if they will be in the Premier League next season or not – and Piroe says if he thinks Leeds will go up automatically.
Joel Piroe says if he thinks Leeds United will get promoted
Sunderland’s failure to beat Watford on Saturday has all but ruled Regis Le Bris’ side out of the running to finish in the top two, but Sheffield United managed to overcome Portsmouth at Bramall Lane to win 2-1.
Speaking to Dutch website AD, Piroe said that Leeds “should” be promoted to the Premier League this season from the position The Whites find themselves in, five clear of third-placed Burnley at the moment.
“Everyone in Leeds is mainly obsessed with promotion. And that should work out this season. Two clubs go straight to the Premier League. The champion and the runner-up,” Piroe told Dutch media site AD.
What Joel Piroe had to say about finishing in the play-offs
Last season, Leeds finished in third place and were forced to enter the play-offs. A 0-0 draw against Norwich in the first semi-final was following up by a 4-0 Elland Road win, with Joel Piroe scoring.
But a trip to Wembley ended in defeat with Adam Armstrong scoring the only goal of the game. Piroe has bad memories of Wembley: “I’m not looking forward to the play-offs. We lost last year to Southampton.
“It was a disaster of course. But with the play-offs the season also lasts a month longer. And an English football year already covers sixty matches. No, we just have to get the job done right away,” Piroe said.
But if Piroe keeps firing and Leeds manage to rid themselves of the loss to Millwall between now and Tuesday night, and get back to winning ways at Watford, then it really is in The Whites’ hands to lose.
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