Leeds United managed to progress to the fourth round of the FA Cup with a 3-1 win over Derby County on Sunday. However, their focus remains on Premier League survival.
The Whites can celebrate progress in the FA Cup. However, their eyes are firmly on survival in the Premier League and will now prepare to host Fulham for another league game at Elland Road next weekend.
Leeds’ seven-game unbeaten run came to an end at Newcastle, where they lost 4-3 last weekend. But they have a healthy eight-point lead over teams in the relegation zone.
West Ham’s poor form has allowed Leeds to continue remain at an arm’s length of the bottom three, and now Ally McCoist has gone big on their survival in the Premier League.
Ally McCoist makes huge prediction on Leeds United’s Premier League future
Ally McCoist and Jeff Stelling were discussing the state of the teams in the bottom half of the Premier League on talkSPORT this morning.
They indicated that Wolves, Burnley and West Ham look doomed and McCoist agrees that Forest look as a team who have a decent chance of staying out of the bottom three.
The former striker insisted Leeds have completely transformed over the last month or so. He pointed out that the Whites are still 16th in the table, but he’d back them to get a result against any team in the league at this stage.
McCoist said on talkSPORT: “You [Jeff Stelling] said Forest being the only team with a realistic chance [of survival], and yes, I think you are right.
“Leeds United – what a transformation they are on.
“I know they are still there, but they just look like a team who you’d fancy against anybody.”
Read More: Gary Lineker goes big on Leeds United’s survival chances this season
Leeds look like good bets to survive this season
Farke will prepare his side for the Fulham game after their FA Cup success on Sunday. However, Wednesday night’s defeat at Newcastle will hurt him.
However, that disappointment was tempered by a host of encouraging signs. Leeds were agonisingly close to claiming another important away point after delivering a calm, well-rounded performance that once again highlighted their growing resilience.
| Pos | Club | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | Bournemouth | 21 | 6 | 8 | 7 | 34 | 40 | -6 | 26 |
| 16 | Leeds United | 21 | 5 | 7 | 9 | 29 | 37 | -8 | 22 |
| 17 | Nottingham Forest | 21 | 6 | 3 | 12 | 21 | 34 | -13 | 21 |
| 18 | West Ham | 21 | 3 | 5 | 13 | 22 | 43 | -21 | 14 |
| 19 | Burnley | 21 | 3 | 4 | 14 | 22 | 41 | -19 | 13 |
| 20 | Wolves | 21 | 1 | 4 | 16 | 15 | 41 | -26 | 7 |
Although the unbeaten streak has come to an end, there is little evidence to suggest Leeds United cannot quickly string together another impressive run of results in the next few weeks, especially given how effectively they continue to match up against established Premier League opposition.
Leeds are unlikely to be dragged into a relegation battle as the season reaches its decisive stages, given how good they have looked against established Premier League sides. With West Ham still struggling for consistency, the pressure has eased further, enabling the Whites to look ahead with increasing confidence toward a comfortable mid-table finish.
