Credit: Imago

Richie Mills

Tue 21 April 2026 20:10, UK

Leeds United have been backed to stay up, with Chris Sutton hailing them as “phenomenal” in recent weeks.

However, the former Celtic striker thinks that they will just come up short away at Bournemouth on Wednesday in the Premier League.

Leeds beat Wolves 3-0 and then secured their first league victory at Old Trafford in 45 years following their 2-1 triumph against Manchester United, while Bournemouth upset league leaders Arsenal at the Emirates before claiming a late win at Newcastle United.

While Leeds are pulling clear of the relegation zone and are closing in on safety, eighth-placed Bournemouth have a shot at qualifying for Europe for the first time in their history – so there is plenty to play for.

As Leeds fans have one eye on their FA Cup semi-final with Chelsea on Sunday, Sutton thinks the Whites will suffer a slight setback on the south coast, with the Cherries having a chance to leapfrog the Blues into eighth with a win.

Leeds have ‘lovely balance’ in their squad

Since the 49ers Enterprises’ takeover of Leeds in 2023, they haven’t had too many missteps when it comes to transfers. There was a lot of pressure to get it right last summer on their return to the Premier League.

They spent around £100million on players, and so far, that has paid off.

In addition to forking out around £60m on the likes of Anton Stach, Jaka Bijol, Noah Okafor, and Gabriel Gudmundsson, smart free transfers such as Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Lukas Nmecha have worked.

However, Bournemouth are a tough nut to crack these days, and Sutton thinks they will edge this encounter 2-1. He did add that Leeds used to fall apart late in games, but that is no longer the case.

He said in his latest BBC Sport column: “Leeds are in decent shape too, after back-to-back wins over Manchester United and Wolves. They are not mathematically safe yet, but they soon will be, because they have been phenomenal when I’ve watched them recently.

“They are so well organised, and their system works – there is a lovely balance to their team, and they have got a goal or two in them. Eli Junior Kroupi’s stoppage-time goal denied Leeds a win at Elland Road in September, but at that stage of the season Leeds had a habit of fading late in games – not any more.

“Their previous away performance, for their win at Old Trafford, was absolutely outstanding, and I can see them giving Bournemouth a good game. The Cherries are playing with lots of confidence, too; however, they have not lost in the league since the start of January.

“I am going with them to nick this one and leave Leeds with a little bit more work to do. This will be close.”

Leeds’ strong record against Bournemouth

Leeds lead this head-to-head by quite some margin, but they have only met 16 times over the years.

Among teams the Cherries have faced at least 10 times in their league history, only against Manchester City, do Bournemouth have a lower win ratio than against Leeds.

The Whites are unbeaten in their last five away league games, their longest in the division since 2001, whilst they are also looking to win back-to-back Premier League away matches for the first time since April 2022.

Leeds will be able to call upon Joe Rodon again, but Anton Stach has not recovered from his ankle injury.

If Leeds win, their place in next season’s Premier League is all but assured. But if not, they may have to wait until the Burnley match in early May to get over the line.