Wigan Athletic v Leeds United: Why Whites should have 'nothing to fear' in Championship promotion bid

WINNING FEELING: Liam Cooper celebrates his scorching strike against Ipswich Town with his Leeds United team-mates.

Marcelo Bielsa’s Whites will return to Championship action at 14th-placed Wigan Athletic on Sunday with second-placed Leeds two points off top despite having won only three of their last ten games.

Sheffield United hold a two-point lead at the top of the table but their haul of 29 points is the joint-lowest in Championship history for a side leading the division after 15 games.

Just seven points cover the division’s entire top half and Prutton admits a golden opportunity is staring Leeds in the face if the Whites can rediscover their early-season form.

Leeds began the season with four victories and a draw from their first five games but a return of 14 points from their last ten matches is only the tenth best in the division over that run.

“There are seven points between first and 12th which is ridiculous,” Sky Sports pundit and former Whites midfielder Prutton told the YEP.

“There’s nobody like a Wolves or a Cardiff who came into it latterly last year by playing their own way and getting their way out of the division.

“I have seen some good performances and some not-so-good performances and I think probably the most pertinent fact is that Leeds shouldn’t really have anyone that they really fear.

"It’s not that Leeds strike me as a team that will be wary of people and Marcelo Bielsa does not strike me as a manager that will be either.

“He breaks down sides and opposition accordingly which is absolutely right.

“But I have not seen anyone where you are kind of thinking ‘wow, if we come up against them we are going to have to be extra vigilant’. There’s not been anyone like that.”

Prutton added: “We have seen teams put runs together and Birmingham are one that springs to mind.

“Forest are slightly different in the sense that they have drawn a lot of games but they are prone to inconsistencies at home.

“But Leeds have got to be looking at this as the chance.

“We are getting into the real midst of what autumn football is and it’s wide open.

“From a neutral’s point of view, it is fascinating and from a Leeds point of view there's the fact that they have managed to manage their injury situation and not lose touch. They are still only two points off top.”