Leeds United enjoyed a hugely significant victory over Nottingham Forest at Elland Road on Friday, in the race to avoid relegation.
Richard Garnett
11:16, 09 Feb 2026
Alan Shearer is backing Leeds United to beat the drop this season
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Alan Shearer is backing Leeds United to beat the drop this season(Image: Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)
Leeds United's impressive 3-1 victory at home to Nottingham Forest on Friday evening is enough to convince Alan Shearer that the Whites will avoid an immediate return to the Championship this season, but broadcasting legend Jeff Stelling has struck a cautionary note.
Daniel Farke's side headed into Friday's six-pointer with Forest all too aware that neither team could afford to come out of the game empty-handed.
But it was the hosts who prevailed after Jayden Bogle, Noah Okafor and Dominic Calvert-Lewin racked up a three-goal lead, with Lorenzo Lucca's debut goal for Forest proving to be nothing more than a late consolation.
The result keeps Leeds six points clear of the relegation zone, on the same points as out-of-form Tottenham Hotspur, and puts Sean Dyche's side under mounting pressure after West Ham won at Burnley to reduce the gap between the two sides to just three points.
The Whites have won six and drawn four of their 13 matches at Elland Road this season and the Premier League's all-time record goalscorer believes such home form will be enough to keep them up.
Speaking on Match of the Day, Shearer said: “Surely Tottenham can’t be pulled into a relegation battle? They’re going to have to start winning games and sharpish.
"West Ham, I still think [will be relegated], just. I can hear the West Ham fans screaming at me now. Leeds will be alright, I think, because of the home form. Really strong at home.”
Leeds now have eight points from their last six matches, but although that form has been good enough to keep them away from the bottom three, former Sky Sports Soccer Saturday anchorman Stelling can see tougher matches on the horizon, starting with a rejuvenated Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday evening.
Speaking on talkSPORT, Stelling said: “Leeds are flying so they have momentum, but at the moment I’m thinking, they’re looking safe, aren’t they?
Asked whether Farke's side were still in a relegation battle, he added: ”I think Leeds are still in it. Chelsea away, Aston Villa away and Manchester City at home in the next three games, so the table looks good now, but it may not do in three games.”
The Leeds players will have plenty of wind in their sails after Friday evening's morale-boosting victory over Forest, but with back-to-back away matches against Champions League-chasing sides up next, and Pep Guardiola's City next up at Elland Road, there is little time to relax after earning three points that ultimately didn't move the club any further away from the relegation zone, following West Ham's win at Turf Moor.
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