Daniel Farke’s men climbed to second in the table, one point ahead of Ipswich Town, after ending a three-game winless streak.
After an incredible run of 12 wins and two draws since the turn of the year, Leeds United had faltered in recent weeks. They were less than convincing in a 2-2 draw away at Watford and needed two late goals to see off Hull City at Elland Road before losing their first Championship game in 2024 away at Coventry City. Sunderland then held Leeds to a 0-0 draw in Yorkshire, with struggling Blackburn Rovers inflicting Leeds’ first home defeat of the season with a smash-and-grab 1-0 last time Farke’s men played.
Leeds’ three-game winless run saw them head to Middlesbrough third in the table, two points outside the automatic promotion places. Before the game, the sites at MyTopSportsbooks had lengthened the odds of Leeds gaining automatic promotion, seemingly resigning them to the lottery of the playoffs. However, those same sites now think the ball is in Leeds’ court, with the Whites putting some daylight between themselves and third-placed Ipswich Town.
Michael Carrick’s Middlesbrough needed to win to keep their slim playoff hopes alive and looked up for the fight. Boro were fast out of the blocks and took a seventh-minute lead through Isaiah Jones, which sent most of the 29,333-strong crowd into a frenzy. However, Farke’s Leeds had gained 22 points from losing positions this season, so the game was far from over.
Two pieces of League Two-standard defending saw Farke’s men draw level and then take the lead. Crysencio Summerville converted from the spot after Anfernee Dijksteel clumsily brought down Georginio Rutter in the 14th minute. Former Middlesborough number nine Patrick Bamford put the visitors ahead on 18 minutes after a delightful cross from Junior Firpo.
The impressive Emmanuel Latte Lath scored a thunderbolt from 18 yards to level the scores at the half-hour point. Middlesbrough could only hold onto that lead for nine minutes because Leeds’ Italian forward Willy Gnonto restored Leeds’ lead. Television replays showed the Italian was offside, but the lineman’s flag stayed down.
After five goals in 45 first-half minutes, which mirrored the reverse fixture in December, the second half was not as action-packed. Leeds seemed content to allow Middlesbrough to have possession and attack them on the break.
A trademark goal from Summerville on 61 minutes, his 20th of a career-best season, gave Leeds a two-goal advantage. Farke’s young guns seemed to be cruising toward victory until an excellent improvised header from Latte Lath on 87 set up a nervous finish. Middlesbrough threw everything at Leeds as the clock ticked down, including having their Senegalese goalkeeper, Seny Dieng, enter Leeds’ penalty area for corners and free kicks even before the regulation 90 minutes were up.
Referee Tony Harrington blew the full-time whistle after five minutes of added time, sending the 2,571 traveling fans into rapture.
Leicester City still occupy top spot in the Championship table, leading Leeds by one point while having a game in hand. Leicester plays that game on April 23 at home to Southampton, another automatic promotion-chasing team. The Foxes could have guaranteed their return to the Premier League if Leeds had lost and Leicester sent Southampton home empty-handed. Still, there is now everything to play for as the Championship season edges towards a thrilling conclusion.
While Leicester is the clear favorite to win the Championship, Leeds is in pole position to clinch the other automatic promotion spot. Although third-place Ipswich Town only trails Leeds by a single point and has played one game less, having points on the board is more important than having games in hand at this crucial stage of the season.
Leeds could widen the gap over Ipswich to four points by the time Kieran McKenna’s men next take to the field. Struggling Queens Park Rangers, who are not yet mathematically safe from relegation to League One, host the traveling Whites on April 26 in a proverbial six-pointer. Ipswich are not in action again until April 27, when they travel to playoff-hopefuls Hull City.
The 2023-24 Championship season has been nothing short of incredible. Four teams are vying for the two automatic promotion places with only three games remaining, showing the competitiveness of English football’s second tier.
Leeds now have 90 points from 44 games, three fewer than the 93 they accumulated during their Championship-winning season in 2019-20. The Whites finished ten points ahead of West Bromwich Albion that season.
The drama is far from over; one would imagine there are more twists and turns in the automatic promotion race. As mentioned, Leicester host fellow promotion-chasers Southampton on April 23 before ending their campaign with games against Preston North End and Blackburn Rovers.
Ipswich has challenging back-to-back games against Hull City and Coventry City before heading to relegation-threatened Huddersfield Town in the last game of the season.
Southampton has the most challenging run-in, traveling to Leicester and hosting Stoke City before a potential promotion-deciding game at Leeds United’s Elland Road on May 4; the latter could be the game of the season with everything riding on the result.
They say that it is not over until the fat lady sings. She may not be singing just yet, but she is going through her final warm-up as she prepares to bring the curtain down on a memorable season of Championship football.
