According to Opta Analyst, Leeds United are fair value to win the Championship and earn automatic promotion to the Premier League this season.
The research (5 August) employed a supercomputer to run 10,000 simulations of the forthcoming Championship campaign.
Overall, Leeds won the league 45% of the time. In addition, they received automatic promotion in 63.4% of the simulations.
However, as recently as February, Leeds United were expected to finish second behind Leicester City in the 2023-24 season (Opta Analyst). Unfortunately, in that case, it was not meant to be.
Leeds United backed heavily.
The weight of expectations can be challenging. We all knew Leeds would be favoured this season, and rightly so. Even after losing to Southampton in the play-off final, it was evident that this group was skilled enough for the Championship.
Many key players have subsequently left, yet this squad remains exceptionally powerful by second-tier standards.
Obviously, such predictions must be taken with a large grain of salt. Leeds United fans have spent years building up their expectations, but things rarely go as planned.
Still, Daniel Farke understands the league. He understands the benefits of moving up, and he will not leave it to chance this time.
With the team still seeking for new signings in the transfer market, you’d have to believe their depth will only grow.
From top to bottom, this is a competitive squad, particularly in a league that does not appear to be as packed as it was in 2023/24.
