Leeds United were held to a 0-0 draw by Brentford at Elland Road, picking up another point in their fight for Premier League survival.
It wasn’t the result they wanted at home, and it means their winless league run now stretches to six games. Still, they managed to avoid defeat and add something to the board.
Their lead over the teams below could narrow depending on other results, and by the end of the gameweek, Leeds may find themselves right under pressure in the relegation battle.
At this stage of the season, their inability to win is becoming a real concern. However, Glenn Hoddle has put a positive spin on the result against Brentford.
Glenn Hoddle feels Leeds will look back at the result fondly
The former England manager has conceded that Leeds will have their eyes on what West Ham do against Aston Villa away from home today.
He stressed that if West Ham lost away from home, Leeds would see the point against Brentford as a good result, especially because they didn’t really play well.
Hoddle indicated that survival is going to be attritional and Leeds will eventually see the result against Brentford as a positive towards the end of the season.
Hoddle said on Premier League Productions: “They’re looking at what West Ham’s going to do, 29 points they’ve got, they’ll be saying ‘we’ve gained even when we didn’t play well.’
“It was a horrible game, but we’ve gained another point. Now, West Ham have got to go and do it tomorrow, they’re playing at Villa away.
“They’re in a mini league with Tottenham, Forest and West Ham, and they’re going to be fighting in that little league, so if West Ham lose, they’ll go, ‘that’s a great point we got against Brentford today.’
“That’s how you look at it when you’re down there at the bottom, it is called survival for a reason, and that could be a really good point when they know they’ve not played well, they know they’re not scoring goals, but if they can pick up points here and there, then they’re going to survive.”
No wins in six games is a problem for Leeds
Daniel Farke has already indicated that Leeds may need around seven points from their remaining seven games to stay in the Premier League.
A draw against Brentford isn’t a bad outcome on paper, considering they’re pushing for Europe and are tough to beat. Even so, Leeds would have wanted all three points at home to relieve some of the pressure.
Elsewhere, Nottingham Forest take on Tottenham later today, while West Ham face an Aston Villa side short on confidence.
Premier League Bottom Six – Relegation Battle
| Pos | Club | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | Leeds United | 31 | 7 | 12 | 12 | 37 | 48 | -11 | 33 |
| 16 | Tottenham Hotspur | 30 | 7 | 9 | 14 | 40 | 47 | -7 | 30 |
| 17 | Nottingham Forest | 30 | 7 | 8 | 15 | 28 | 43 | -15 | 29 |
| 18 | West Ham United | 30 | 7 | 8 | 15 | 36 | 55 | -19 | 29 |
| 19 | Burnley | 31 | 4 | 8 | 19 | 33 | 61 | -28 | 20 |
| 20 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 31 | 3 | 8 | 20 | 24 | 54 | -30 | 17 |
Leeds are currently four points clear of the drop zone, but that cushion could shrink to just one by the end of the gameweek if other results don’t go in their favour.
That would leave the Whites under serious pressure after the international break, with a win needed sooner rather than later to settle nerves at Elland Road.
Next up is a difficult challenge against a confident Manchester United side, who have lost just once since Michael Carrick took charge in January.
