Jeff Stelling drops new Leeds United relegation verdict live on Sky Sports after 2-2 drama vs Newcastle amid ‘fighting’ shout
Jeff Stelling believes Leeds United need at least one win from their final two games of the Premier League season to avoid relegation to the Championship.
Sam Allardyce’s side picked up an important point in their race to beat the drop, drawing 2-2 against Newcastle on Saturday (13 May) at Elland Road.
Despite conceding a brace of penalties to Callum Wilson, and Junior Firpo being given his marching orders for a some reckless fouls, goals from Luke Ayling and Rasmus Kristensen were enough to help the Whites move onto 31 points with just two games of their season remaining.
“Their remaining games are West Ham away and Spurs at home,” Stelling said live on Sky Sports Soccer Saturday. [13 May, 14:29pm]
“Minimum requirement is one win from those two games and maybe they will need more than that.
“So despite a fighting point today, Leeds United are still bang up against it.”
Not enough
Although Leeds United showed moments of class in their four-goal draw in West Yorkshire, a host of individual errors came back to haunt them throughout the game.
Dreadful challenges from Max Wober and Firpo gave Newcastle two gift-wrapped goals from the penalty spot, while the latter’s red card gave their Champions League-chasing opponents a real chance of nicking it at the death.
A draw does see Leeds United move above Leicester City in the relegation zone and move just a point behind Everton before their home match against Manchester City on Sunday (14 May), but realistically, it hasn’t changed the battle for the drop in any significant way.
Over the last month, the trip to face West Ham at the London Stadium has been pin-pointed as the pivotal match if Leeds are to stave off relegation this season, at it doesn’t look any different now.
Hopefully, the Hammers will have one eye on their Europa Conference League exploits, and David Moyes may therefore be tempted to ring the changes for the Premier League clash.
Next week’s trip to East London is simply a must-win encounter.
Anything other than that and Leeds United’s fate could be sealed.
In other Leeds United news, Phil Hay has laid out up to £300million that the Whites are eyeing to save themselves.