Leeds United have three games remaining to clinch automatic promotion, but Southampton’s win against Preston last night has pushed them back into contention.
At the moment, it appears that none of the top three Championship teams desire to win the championship, with Leeds, Ipswich, and Leicester City all failing to win in their past two games.
Meanwhile, Southampton has recovered from a recent hiccup, scooping four wins to leave them three points behind Leeds and five points off top spot with another game in hand against Leicester.
David Prutton anticipates a playoff final between Leeds and Southampton in May.
Sky Sports analyst David Prutton examined the four teams’ run-ins, with Southampton expected to have a significant impact when they face Leicester and Leeds in their final four games.
Elland Road will host the Saints’ last regular-season game, which Prutton sees as basically a playoff final in and of itself.
Prutton said this live on Sky Sports News on Tuesday at 10:41 a.m.
“It does feel, and hopefully from a spectator standpoint, it may come down to Leeds versus Southampton on the last day.
“That would be a play-off final before the play-off final.”
Prutton reacts to Leeds’ home defeat against Blackburn
Before that, Daniel Farke and Leeds must recover from two disappointing defeats, including a defeat to Blackburn Rovers at the weekend, which ended their home unbeaten streak this season.
Prutton said this:
“We will soon see. On Saturday, there was a weird feeling at Elland Road.
“We’ve been there when it was hopping and when it was quieter, such as when Sammie Szmodics scored. Leeds in 2024 has been quite good.
“After the game, Daniel Farke spoke about the upcoming game, going over the line, and managing expectations. The frustration stems from failing to capitalize on others’ mistakes.
“This three-horse race, or four with Southampton, is quite fantastic. Leeds has the players and squad, as do Leicester, Ipswich, and Southampton. Now it’s a nerve test.
Leeds’ race is up to the wire, as Southampton bounce back.
Leeds might be level on points with the Saints by the time we face Middlesbrough on Monday, putting the top three under real pressure.
We needed this respite after losing to Blackburn, and if anything is going to bite us in the backside, this should do it.
Fortunately for us, Ipswich and Leicester are also struggling, so we are not alone in this situation.
