Leeds United have a series of games in which they will feel the need to pick up as many points as they can. November contains a torrid run of Premier League fixtures, with the start of December also bringing up some big-hitters.
Tough trips to Brighton and Hove Albion and Nottingham Forest start off the final two months of the year before Aston Villa come to Elland Road. Manchester City away is the final fixture of November before Chelsea come to town a few days later in midweek.
Liverpool then travel to Leeds the weekend after to end a run of six games that will test the nerves of the Whites. That is why United need to build up steam ahead of the immediate next six games and two months.
Of course, the dream scenario is to win every match. But looking at the next six fixtures - with that harsh run from November onwards firmly in mind - this is perhaps the more realistic best-case scenario in each fixture.
Fulham (A)
A draw here would be a good result. Fulham have not lost at home to a newly-promoted side since December 2023 and the Cottagers will be ravenous for a win having yet to record one in their opening three games.
Of course, they have two players Leeds wanted this summer - Rodrigo Muniz and latterly Harry Wilson. So United clearly respect the quality they have but at the same time, the centre-back duo of Calvin Bassey and Joachim Anderson are not bulletproof.
Wolves (A)
This has to be a win, not only due to Wolves looking as though they could be relegation rivals but also given that anything but a three points here - coupled with a non-victory at Fulham - would denote just one win from the first five games.
An interesting Premier League trend is that teams who have amassed eight or more points from their first five games have never been relegated. Regardless of what happens at Fulham, though, Leeds need to show their mettle away from home before long.
Bournemouth (H)
A draw would be respectable against a well-oiled side run by Adoni Iroala but given who comes next and the future schedule, Leeds have to go for the win. This might sound quite stern, but Elland Road is going to be where Leeds pick up the most points and they need to make their home advantage count.
The Cherries have a promising attack but their defence can be got at, having seen four of their back five taken off of them this summer. Two wins out of three, including one against Tottenham Hotspur, for Bournemouth means Leeds have a tough task.
But if United are going to survive, they cannot settle for second-rate results too often, especially against those not playing in Europe. Grab the bull by the horns.
Tottenham (H)
A draw would be a commendable return but few would be overly critical if Leeds did suffer a loss here. Thomas Frank may have lost to Bournemouth but his team’s win over Manchester City and their performance against PSG in the UEFA Super Cup final shows they have got a bit about them.
The chink of light might be the long-term absences of the injured Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison, while Dominic Solanke might not be up to full speed followed his delayed start upon his own setback. But Spurs have a lot of quality and raw power that Leeds will have to manage.
Burnley (A)
Again, another must-win. The Clarets are relegation rivals and if Leeds are to survive the drop they simply must take points off those around them and, frankly, produce wins against them. Away or not, three points has to be the only bar of success.
Burnley have also had their defence torn up over the summer, not least thanks to the exit of goalkeeper James Trafford. On paper, Leeds should have enough to deal with their attack too - though that hardly means much. Daniel Farke will come under grave scrutiny upon an adverse result at Turf Moor.
West Ham United (H)
Under the lights on a Friday night, Leeds should fancy their chances against a West Ham team that looks fractured at the time of writing. Lacking confidence, resilience and a bit of power, the Hammers will not fancy the trip to Elland Road.
In one sense, whoever is in the away dug out does not matter. If it is Graham Potter, West Ham could look as shaky as they currently do, or if it is a new manager then they will have had little time to bed in their system. Even if the Londoners were in good form, this is always a fixture Leeds would fancy.
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