Leeds United’s seven-match unbeaten streak was brought to a cruel halt on Wednesday evening as they slipped to a dramatic 4–3 defeat against Newcastle United at St James’ Park.
Widely hailed as a potential game of the season, the clash lived up to expectations, producing a pulsating seven-goal contest that was eventually settled in the hosts’ favour deep into stoppage time.
Leeds appeared on the brink of a famous away victory until Bruno Guimaraes converted a 90th-minute penalty to draw Newcastle level, before Harvey Barnes struck again 10 minutes later to seal a dramatic late turnaround.
While their unbeaten run came to an end, Leeds again proved their mettle and showed why they deserve to remain in the Premier League at the end of the season.
Gary Lineker makes it clear what he feels about Leeds United and their survival chances
The former England striker is looking forward to a couple of promoted teams staying up in the Premier League this season, as he feels the recent trend has not been good for the league.
Lineker insisted Leeds are playing well and the Whites and Sunderland are looking safe bets to avoid going straight back down after just one season in the top flight.
Lineker said on the Rest is Football podcast: “I think the good thing this season is that there’s every likelihood now that not just Leeds, because they do play some good stuff, but also Sunderland should stay up, should stay up comfortably.
“Given the nature of the bottom three at the moment, as well, which I think is good.
“We can’t keep having the promoted clubs immediately relegated every season, it would almost turn it into a closed shop.”
Read more: Alan Shearer slams referee after Leeds United defeat at Newcastle
Leeds can afford to aim higher this season
Daniel Farke was disappointed on Wednesday night, acknowledging that Lucas Perri could have done better to prevent Barnes’ late winner.
Even so, the frustration was offset by plenty of positives. Leeds were seconds away from securing another valuable point on the road after a composed, all-round display that once again underlined their increasing resilience.
While the unbeaten run has ended, there is little to suggest that Leeds United cannot swiftly put together another strong run of results, particularly given how well they continue to compete with established Premier League sides.
| 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 |
Crucially, performances of this nature are reinforcing the belief that Leeds are unlikely to be drawn into a relegation fight at the sharp end of the season. With West Ham continuing to struggle, the pressure has eased further, allowing the Whites to look ahead with growing confidence towards a comfortable mid-table finish.
