Leeds United relegation chances shift in supercomputer prediction after Brighton defeat
Leeds are slowly getting drawn back into a dog fight at the bottom of the Premier League.
After Leeds’ defeat to Brighton on Saturday, a lot of the optimism that had emerged from the start of the season has started to fade away.
The Whites have picked up just four points from their last five games, dropping down to 16th in the Premier League as a result.
There is still a five-point gap between Leeds and their next opponents, Nottingham Forest, though their chances of relegation have shifted.
Leeds still backed to avoid relegation, just
After Leeds’ latest win against West Ham, things were looking good, but the defeat to Brighton demonstrates just how quickly things can change, especially at this early stage in the season.
After that triumph against the Hammers, the Whites had a 33.18 per cent chance of dropping back into the Championship, and that has since increased.
Now, Opta‘s supercomputer has given Leeds a 36.69 per cent chance of relegation, with a predicted points tally of 38.
It would, if those predictions came true, see the Whites finish two places above the drop zone, but only one point above Nottingham Forest, who are predicted to finish 18th.
Leeds have some remarkably tough fixtures approaching over the festive period, and if results don’t start going their way, they would find themselves embroiled in a dog fight.
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Leeds’ next five fixtures predicted
After an away trip to Forest next weekend, the Whites will face Aston Villa, Man City, Chelsea and then Liverpool in succession.
Ultimately, that is three of the expected top four come the end of the campaign.
Given Forest’s struggles, Leeds should have more than enough to take three points there, with a point against Villa likely to be a reasonable result.
However, it is difficult to see anything other than four defeats in a row after that, meaning that the Whites may have 15 points after 15 games.
To survive in the Premier League, one point per game, with a couple of extra points, is what is usually needed, and if those results were to come to fruition, it would see the Whites just about keep their heads above water.
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