Leeds United have made an impressive start to their Premier League return this season, but Paul Merson still believes they could be in for a tough campaign.
Daniel Farke’s team have picked up eight points from the opening seven games, losing just three games so far this season.
The West Yorkshire giants have shown that they’re not simply there to make up the numbers this season, and they will be fighting for every point available in each fixture.
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That was clear during their 2-1 loss against Tottenham Hotspur before the international break, but what does Merson think they will be able to do against Burnley?
Paul Merson believes Leeds United will be in the relegation mix all season
Leeds United’s clash against Burnley is important because they are both newly promoted teams, but Merson told SportsKeeda he anticipates a 1-1 draw.
“I don’t think Burnley have got going just yet. There’s only four points between them and Leeds, but honestly, there’s a lot between the sides if you look at just performances.
“Leeds have comfortably been the better side out of the two so far this season. If Leeds perform like they did against Wolves, they win this game.
“Purely based on the first seven games this season, Leeds have proved they have what it takes to survive in the Premier League, unlike Burnley. But if I’m being very honest, I can’t pick a clear winner here.
“And if it ends up being a draw like I think, both Burnley and Leeds will be in that bottom five or six all season!”
Merson isn’t the only pundit predicting these two teams will share the spoils, as Chris Sutton believes it will be a goalless draw.
While sharing the points would leave the Whites in the bottom five of the table, a victory can potentially push Leeds into the top half, highlighting how tight things are currently.
Leeds United are worse off now than their previous Premier League run at this stage
Leeds United are one of the biggest clubs in England in terms of fan support and history, which is why they will be fighting hard to retain their Premier League status.
However, at this stage in the season, they are in a worse position than they were during their last time in the division.
The Whites currently have three fewer points after seven games than they did during the 2022-23 campaign after seven games, which is concerning given that they still got relegated that season.
Premier League table Games Played Won Drawn Lost Goal Difference Points
2022-23 7 3 2 2 +1 11
2025-26 7 2 2 3 -4 8
Leeds United’s Premier League position after seven games
On top of that, Leeds United were in the top half of the table at that point, whereas this time around they’re 15th, showing that there’s still lots of work to be done.