Leeds United head to Merseyside to face Everton at the Hill Dickinson Stadium on Monday night, but results elsewhere over the weekend have added extra pressure on Daniel Farke’s side.
West Ham’s win over Sunderland has reduced Leeds’ cushion to five points, while Nottingham Forest also won 2-0 against Brentford at the City Ground to register three more vital points to their tally.
Even so, Leeds travel in good form, having lost just once in their last nine games, and they can draw encouragement from Everton’s four home defeats in the Premier League this season.
Still, the standings have tightened, and Leeds will be keen to come away with a positive result to preserve a comfortable gap above the relegation zone for the rest of the campaign.
Supercomputer delivers relegation prediction for Leeds United ahead of Everton trip
Leeds have lost just one in their last nine, and their performances have resembled a side that should finish comfortably mid-table this season.
However, West Ham and Forest’s wins over the weekend have again brought some interest back in the relegation dogfight in the Premier League this season.
Ahead of an away trip to Everton, Leeds’ relegation chances have crept up a little, which should concern the Whites’ supporters.
According to Opta, the Yorkshire giants now have a close to 9 per cent chance of getting relegated from the Premier League this season.
On the surface, it’s not a huge number, and Leeds still have less than one in ten chances of returning to the Championship at the end of the campaign.
However, less than a week ago, the number hovered around 6 per cent, so it is important now that Leeds get a result against Everton at the Hill Dickinson Arena.
Leeds must back themselves to get a result against Everton
Their away form has come a long way from the start of the season, and the Whites have looked resilient on the road over the last couple of months.
Leeds have earned draws against the likes of Liverpool and Brentford, while their impressive home form at Elland Road has helped lift them to 16th in the table. Their defeat at Newcastle came only after two late goals and a costly goalkeeping error that forced Lucas Perri off the team.
Another stern challenge lies ahead at Everton, but Leeds have shown in recent weeks that they are capable of taking something from Monday night’s trip. The Toffees sit 11th, seven points clear of Leeds, yet their struggles in front of goal have been evident, and the absence of Jack Grealish is likely to weaken their attacking threat further.
With that in mind, Leeds will believe they have a realistic chance of returning home with at least a point, and possibly even a notable away victory.
