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Leeds United are on the march and can put a major dent in Tottenham and West Ham's survival hopes
Leeds United's Premier League safety was confirmed after West Ham's defeat to Arsenal on Sunday, making it mission accomplished for the Yorkshire outfit.
While boss Daniel Farke may already have one eye on next season, his side can have a major bearing on the relegation scrap with games against Tottenham and West Ham coming up.
Here, DAZN News reporter Ross Heppenstall analyses the key factor behind the Yorkshire giants’ late-season surge and how that could spell bad news for Spurs and the Hammers.
Promising start gives way to rocky autumn
As a newly-promoted side, Leeds made a decent start on their return to the Premier League after two seasons away.
They won two of their opening five games but pressure on Farke began to mount heading into November.
A 2-1 home defeat to Aston Villa on November 23 marked Leeds’ fifth loss in six games and left them in the relegation places.
With a rising tide of opposition from his own fanbase, Farke’s future appeared bleak with Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool next up.
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A tactical switch that changed everything
Six days after losing to Villa, Leeds headed to the Etihad to take on Manchester City, where they were expected to be steamrolled.
At half-time, 2-0 down and facing humiliation, Farke was being tipped to be sacked before the Christmas decorations went up.
But during the interval at the Etihad, the German made a bold move.
He switched to a 3-5-2, which saw Dominic Calvert-Lewin introduced at half-time to play alongside ex-City man Lukas Nmecha.
The tactical switch proved transformative as Calvert-Lewin scored within four minutes of his introduction and then won a penalty, which Nmecha converted to equalise.
Phil Foden scored a late winner for Pep Guardiola’s side, but for Leeds, the new formation provided fresh hope.
The move saw Jaka Bijol brought in as a third centre-back between Joe Rodon and Pascal Struijk.
Bijol is strong in the air, uncompromising, and his presence brought a newfound solidity to the Whites’ rearguard.
Switching to three centre-backs allowed Jayden Bogle and Gabriel Gudmundsson to bomb on as wing-backs.
Leeds have not really looked back since, losing just five of their last 27 games in all competitions in what has been an historic campaign.
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Winning at Old Trafford and reaching Wembley
From early December, Leeds went seven Premier League games without a loss, beating Chelsea, drawing with Liverpool twice and holding bitter rivals Manchester United at Elland Road.
The New Year also marked the beginning of a stirring FA Cup run, which saw the Whites reach the semi-finals for the first time since 1987.
Last month saw Leeds win a league game at Manchester United for the first time in 45 years, courtesy of Noah Okafor’s double.
Not since Brian Flynn’s winning goal for Leeds at Old Trafford in February 1981 had they beaten their sworn enemies on their own patch in a league fixture.
Although Leeds lost to Chelsea at Wembley in the FA Cup semi-final, their recent Premier League form has carried them to all but safety.
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The key figures behind Leeds’ rise
Whites captain, Ethan Ampadu failed to establish himself at Chelsea after joining them from his hometown club Exeter City in July 2017.
Or rather, he was never given the chance he perhaps deserved, making just 12 first-team appearances for the Blues and spending the majority of his time out on loan before Leeds signed him in the summer of 2023.
This season, the Wales international has proved he can cut it at the highest level and been a hugely influential figure in Leeds’ fine run of form.
Ampadu is the first name on Farke’s teamsheet, and Anton Stach is not far behind.
The Germany international is a massive presence alongside Ampadu in the middle of the park, and scored his fifth Premier League goal of the season during last Friday’s 3-1 home win against Burnley.
Calvert-Lewin’s goals earned him a recall to the England squad – not bad for a player who arrived on a free transfer last summer.
Okafor has also shone brightly in recent weeks, scoring four goals in his last four Premier League games.
The togetherness in Leeds’ squad is clear to see and Farke must take significant credit for that.
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Leeds can have a huge say in relegation scrap
Leeds are now mathematically following West Ham's loss at home to Arsenal on Sunday.
The final relegation place is now a straight shoot-out between Tottenham and the Hammers, who sit 17th and 18th respectively in the table.
Spurs claimed a rare win when beating Leeds at Elland Road in early October, so Farke’s men will be keen to avenge that result when they travel to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Monday night.
Leeds are now safe, of course, but Farke will be keen to maintain their recent momentum as they look to finish as high as possible.
That could spell bad news for Tottenham, who are fighting desperately for their lives and lie just one point above West Ham.
After hosting Leeds, Spurs face a trip to old adversaries Chelsea before a final-day visit from Everton.
The Hammers, meanwhile, travel to Newcastle before a final-day home clash with… yep, you’ve guessed it. Leeds.
The fight to avoid that last relegation place may go to the final day, meaning Farke’s in-form side could have a huge bearing on deciding West Ham’s fate.
But first, they will hope to see off Tottenham on tonight, where victory would continue their upward mobility.
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