New data reveals points Leeds United need for promotion as staggering '97 per cent' prediction made

Leeds are currently joint on 82 points with Leicester City, having toppled the Foxes after six months at the Championship summit. While Enzo Maresca's men have a game in hand, the Whites' recent form is daunting for any and all promotion rivals - and showing no sign of letting up.

Ipswich Town, meanwhile, trail the top two by just a single point and recorded a 6-0 win over Sheffield Wednesday last weekend before the start of March's international break, to keep the pressure on the sides occupying the automatic promotion spots. In hot pursuit are Southampton, whose two games in hand on Leeds and Ipswich could see them reach 79 points if Russell Martin's men manage to take maximum points from those two fixtures.

This season's promotion chase, which has quickly become a three-or-four-way title race, is the fiercest and most competitive the Championship has ever seen. After a mammoth 38 matches, any of the top four could lift the trophy by May 4, which could make the Saints' visit to Elland Road on the final weekend particularly consequential.

A new poll conducted by the YEP has found over half of Leeds fans believe 100 points-or-more will be required to clinch automatic promotion this season. That means United must pick up six more wins from their remaining eight matches, or go unbeaten with five victories and three draws. A staggering 97 per cent of fans think anything below 95 points means any promotion hopes will have to rely on the play-off route.

From close to 1,000 respondents, 55.4 per cent believe 100 points is the minimum required for a spot in the automatics, while a further 41.6 per cent think a tally between 95 and 99 points will be enough. Just 2.8 per cent of supporters believe 90 to 94 points will suffice and 0.8 per cent think 89 or fewer will deliver a return to the Premier League.

Farke has reiterated on several occasions, particularly as Leeds approach the final straight, that league position matters very little until 46 games have been played, but points tallies and points averages are all-important. United's points-per-game in 2023/24 is 2.16 which if Leeds were able to maintain throughout the eight remaining fixtures, would see them finish with 99. The team's average during the second half of the season, however, is 2.47 after 12 wins and one draw from 15 games, which if maintained would take them comfortably over the 100-point threshold.