Leeds United currently sit in second place in the Championship table after 19 league games, as the 2024-25 campaign nears the halfway stage ahead of a busy Christmas period.
Leeds play the first of five games in the space of 19 days in December, with The Whites first hosting Middlesbrough before games Preston, Oxford United, Stoke City and Derby throughout December.
The Whites boast the same amount of points this season as they did last term after 19 games (38). But, such was the anomaly of last season, Leeds are a place better off and only a point behind first place.
Despite having the same points last season at this stage, Leeds were in third and a massive eight off leaders Leicester. Chris Wilder says Leeds are “miles ahead” of his Sheffield United side at the moment.
Wilfried Gnonto shares Leeds squad’s feeling on promotion
Having gone through the experience of being in the top two, to falling into the play-offs and then losing on the final day in the play-off final at Wembley, there is a real feeling of needing to get the job done.
Leeds players like Gnonto will have learnt a lot from last season and it will have hardened them in the process. Speaking to Sky Sports, Gnonto said the Leeds squad is not even thinking about promotion,
He says the squad are taking it one game at a time: “It’s [promotion] the goal, of course. But we still have a long way to go and we’re not really thinking about it now. We were so close last year,” Gnonto added.
“But we are hoping for a different ending this season. I feel we’ve learned our lessons from how it ended last season. I just want to be at my best, stay as fit as I can, and score and assist as many goals as I can.”
Predicting Leeds United’s next three games, and three rivals
So, Leeds do battle against one of the Championship’s top-six hopefuls in Middlesbrough for a second time this season. The Whites were beaten 3-0 at Elland Road by Michael Carrick’s side in the Carabao Cup.
Then, Leeds go to Paul Heckingbottom’s Preston before Oxford United. LeedsUnited.News predicts Leeds to pick up seven points from the next three, comparing that to predictions for the three promotion rivals.
Leeds, Sheffield United, Sunderland and Burnley’s next three:
| Leeds’ next three | Sheffield United’s next three | Burnley’s next three | Sunderland’s next three |
| 10/12: Boro (H) Prediction: 2-2 | 11/12: Millwall (A) Prediction: 1-1 | 10/12: Derby (A) Prediction: 0-2 | 10/12: Bristol City (H) Prediction: 1-0 |
| 14/12: Preston (A) Prediction: 1-2 | 14/12: Plymouth (H) Prediction: 3-0 | 15/12: Norwich (H) Prediction: 1-1 | 14/12: Swansea (A) Prediction: 2-2 |
| 21/12: Oxford (H) Prediction: 4-0 | 21/12: Cardiff (A) Prediction: 1-2 | 21/12: Watford (H) Prediction: 1-0 | 21/12: Norwich (H) Prediction: 1-1 |
| Total: 7 points | Total: 7 points | Total: 7 points | Total: 5 points |
While Gnonto is keeping his cards close to his chest, Pablo Hernandez is confident Leeds will go up and even thinks Leeds can obtain European football in the next few years – which he will return to watch.
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