Leeds United’s margin for error in the Premier League survival race has become increasingly thin, especially after this week’s results pulled them closer to the relegation places.
West Ham beating Fulham and Nottingham Forest taking a point from Manchester City on Wednesday night have made the fight at the bottom even more intense.
Leeds also hurt their own chances with a home defeat to Sunderland on Tuesday. As a result, they now sit just three points above the relegation zone with nine games still left to play this season.
The Whites felt hard done by in both their defeats against Manchester City and Sunderland at home, respectively, and now Ethan Ampadu has responded to the impending crisis.
Ethan Ampadu owns his part for Leeds United’s result
The Leeds captain played a big role in Sunderland winning on Tuesday night despite all the poor refereeing calls and the away side’s blatant attempts to waste time.
Ethan Ampadu handled the ball inside the penalty box, which led to the winning goal from Habib Diarra, who should have been sent off moments later.
The Welshman has insisted that Leeds were unlucky as all the marginal calls went against them in the 1-0 defeat against Sunderland this week.
However, he conceded that he made a mistake, and he and his teammates will come back with a solid performance in the FA Cup on Sunday.
Ampadu posted on his Instagram story on Wednesday: “Fine margins and tough calls last night, but I own my part.
“We’ll regroup and respond in the cup on Sunday.”
The Whites are now looking over their shoulder
Leeds have every right to feel aggrieved with the refereeing decisions in their last two defeats against Manchester City and Sunderland, but the results themselves have clearly knocked the team’s confidence.
Not long ago, a six-point cushion above the relegation zone looked fairly comfortable. Now that gap has been cut to just three points, leaving Leeds with very little margin for error in the final nine games of the season.
| Pos | Club | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 |  Leeds United |
29 | 7 | 10 | 12 | 37 | 48 | -11 | 31 |
| 16 |  Tottenham Hotspur |
28 | 7 | 8 | 13 | 38 | 43 | -5 | 29 |
| 17 |  Nottingham Forest |
29 | 7 | 7 | 15 | 28 | 43 | -15 | 28 |
| 18 |  West Ham United |
29 | 7 | 7 | 15 | 35 | 54 | -19 | 28 |
| 19 |  Burnley |
29 | 4 | 7 | 18 | 32 | 58 | -26 | 19 |
| 20 |  Wolverhampton Wanderers |
30 | 3 | 7 | 20 | 22 | 52 | -30 | 16 |
Wednesday night’s results only added to the pressure. West Ham and Nottingham Forest both picked up unexpected points away from home, which has completely reshaped the picture at the bottom of the table.
Leeds remain 15th for now, but the sense of security has disappeared. Another poor league result after their FA Cup run could quickly pull them deeper into the fight.
The Whites need to get a win on the board soon, otherwise they risk being dragged right back into the bottom three as the season approaches its final stretch.
PGMOL intention to create some excitement in the bottom six teams. So, the referee and VAR officials have been given special instructions how to handle the game between Leeds and Sunderland. Nothing new, been going on for decades.
Score more goals, problem solved!