Javi Gracia’s Whites lined up for Sunday’s clash at Bournemouth knowing that a victory would boot them four points clear of the drop zone but the Whites limped to a sorry 4-1 defeat that has left the club stuck on 30 points and fifth-bottom and destined to drop another place on Monday night.
Leeds are only ahead of fourth-bottom Nottingham Forest on goal difference and one point clear of third-bottom Leicester City who in turn are another point clear of second-bottom Everton. But Leicester’s superior goal difference means that Leeds will definitely drop down to 17th place following the conclusion of Monday evening’s clash between Leicester and Everton at the King Power.
It all means that Leeds will head for next Saturday’s clash at league leaders and long odds-on title favourites Manchester City only outside of the division’s drop zone on goal difference with just four games left. Three of United’s final four games are against teams in the top six as a home clash against Newcastle United follows next weekend’s date at the Etihad and an Elland Road showdown against Tottenham Hotspur presents the club’s final game of the season following the trip to West Ham United.
The relegation-battling Irons lost 4-3 at Crystal Palace this weekend but the Hammers have a game in hand and are still four points ahead of Leeds who only stayed ahead of Forest after Steve Cooper’s side fell to a 2-1 defeat at Brentford. Southampton, who are four points behind second-bottom and six adrift of Leeds, lost again on Sunday via a 3-1 reverse at Newcastle.
After every game, data experts at FiveThirtyEight crunch the numbers and use their Forecasts and Soccer Power Index (SPI) ratings to predict each round of matches and how the final standings will present themselves.Leeds are given just a five per cent chance of winning at City for whom a home victory is rated a probability of 85 per cent with just 10 per cent on offer about the draw. That all points to a comfortable victory for Pep Guardiola’s side and this is the position in which Five Thirty Eight’s super computer now thinks Leeds will end up in and with how many points.
