Prime Minister Rishi Sunak makes Southampton play-off admission ahead of possible Leeds United clash

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has his hopes set on a trip to Wembley Stadium this month to cheer on his beloved Southampton. Sunak is known to be a fan of Russell Martin's Saints and he has been seen at St Mary's Stadium on occasions during his Downing Street tenure.

Of course, Sunak will have been hoping to see Southampton return to English football's top flight at the first time of asking automatically this season, but a difficult run of recent form ensures they will enter the final week of the regular campaign with a play-off spot wrapped up. They'll have little to play for then when they travel to Elland Road on Saturday to face a Leeds United side, who now know they need something of a final day miracle in order to win automatic promotion to the Premier League.

Leeds need to not only beat Saints, they also need Ipswich to lose at home to the all but relegated Huddersfield Town, which appears unlikely, it's fair to say. As such, Leeds are expected to find themselves entering a play-off campaign following full-time on Saturday.

There is the possibility then, that United could be meeting Southampton once more in the play-off final at the national stadium on May 26, a game Sunak would deem to be unmissable.

"We’re not having a brilliant end to the season," Sunak said while speaking to a supporter of West Ham United during a visit to a DHL distribution centre. "But fundamentally if you told me at the start of the season we’d be in the play-offs, I would have said ‘great, I’ll take it.’

“So hopefully play-off finals and Wembley… anything can happen but I feel good about it. Flynn Downes has been very good news for us. James Ward-Prowse who you poached from us, he’s alright. I’m quietly confident, but you know, play-offs, who knows? I’m hopeful that I get a trip to Wembley at the end of May.”

Get a personalised Leeds United news round-up, as well as breaking news, when you sign up for our free Leeds United newsletter email. Southampton had an up and down start to the season under Martin, who joined the club from Swansea City last summer. However, a 3-1 win over the Whites at St Mary's in September kickstarted an unbeaten run of 22 league games.

That saw the Saints gate-crash the automatic promotion spots in February, but since then their form has been nothing short of inconsistent, losing seven and winning six of their last 15 Championship outings. They'll be looking to end the regular season on a high, though, and enter the play-offs on the back of a morale-boosting win to bounce into their semi-final first leg, against whoever finishes fifth, on May 12.

Should they be forced to progress through the play-offs to win promotion, Leeds will take on the team that claims sixth spot in the semi-finals, with Norwich City, West Bromwich Albion and Hull City the remaining possibilities.