I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, this season’s promotion battle in the Championship is going to be one for the history books. Sure, some people might argue that the overall quality in the division isn’t as high as in previous years, but just take a look at the teams at the top of the table and that argument falls apart.
Leicester City is practically a Premier League team already with their strong and deep roster. Southampton was expected to be a top contender, and even clubs like Ipswich Town, West Bromwich Albion, and high-spending Hull City have squads capable of making a promotion push.
Despite the quality at the top, no one could have predicted the intense race for promotion that we’re witnessing. If the current points per game rate holds or even improves, the third-place team might miss out on automatic promotion despite racking up over 90 points. It’s almost unbelievable!
But that’s exactly what seems to be happening as Leeds, Leicester, and Southampton keep finding ways to win. Leeds’ 2-0 win at Plymouth Argyle, with goals from Georginio Rutter and Wilfied Gnonto, put them back in second place and showed their resilience after Southampton won at West Bromwich Albion the night before.
Leeds didn’t play their best, but they showed the maturity with and without the ball needed to win in tough places like Home Park, which hadn’t seen a defeat since October. This win was their eighth in a row since the start of the year, scoring 19 goals and conceding just one. They’re unstoppable and full of confidence.
Leeds are a scoring machine and have become nearly impenetrable in defense since Christmas. They remain undefeated at home and, despite a tough match on Friday, they have what it takes to keep that record intact.
Leicester is a tough opponent, but they’re not invincible. Leeds just saw them fall to Middlesbrough at home, and manager Daniel Farke will see this as an opportunity to prove his team’s quality. A win against Leicester will not only make Southampton nervous, but it may also put pressure on the league leaders.
Friday’s match won’t decide everything, but the message sent could be huge in this epic promotion battle.
