Leeds United are now looking ahead to Sunday’s FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea after their 2-2 draw at Bournemouth on Wednesday night.
A late equaliser from Sean Longstaff rescued a point and took them to the 40-point mark — often seen as the unofficial safety line in the Premier League.
They’re not mathematically safe just yet, but it would take a huge collapse from here for the Whites to go down. With that in mind, all eyes are already on the semi-final this weekend.
Chelsea have added another layer of drama by sacking Liam Rosenior on Wednesday, setting up an even more intriguing clash at Wembley, and the circumstances leading to the game have prompted Gary Neville to make a huge claim.
Gary Neville sticks his neck out ahead of Leeds vs Chelsea
Daniel Farke has indicated that Rosenior’s sacking would have no bearing on the semi-final. However, Gary Neville believes it was done with the Leeds clash in mind.
He believes that the fear of losing to Leeds in the semi-final prompted the Chelsea board to act and sack the young manager on Wednesday.
The former defender feels Leeds could still beat Chelsea, but he understands what forced the board’s hand following the disastrous defeat at Brighton.
Neville said on Sky Sports: “The fear, obviously, I think, was maybe that it would go from bad to worse and they would get beat by Leeds on Sunday, with him in charge.
“They may get beat by Leeds anyway, but with him in charge, they would get [definitely] beat.
“They might still think they have an outside chance of finishing in the Champions League spots.
“And the only way to do that is to change.”
The Whites should still fancy themselves
Chelsea haven’t enjoyed facing Daniel Farke’s side this season; they were beaten 3-1 at Elland Road late last year and then held to a 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge in February.
Leeds, meanwhile, have made those meetings count, taking four points from a possible six against one of their long-time rivals.
But the mood around this tie has shifted following Chelsea’s decision to sack Liam Rosenior, a move that’s prompted some to rethink their predictions ahead of Wembley.
A semi-final is a different beast altogether, and Chelsea may still have an edge when it comes to players used to high-pressure occasions. Still, their recent struggles with form, confidence and fitness, combined with that managerial shake-up, have cast fresh doubt.
Those earlier results will linger in the background, and Leeds will head into the game believing they can get the job done. As things stand, and perhaps more than before, they’re being tipped as slight favourites to get past the Blues.
