London, England, 10th December 2021. Gary Neville, Sky Sports pundit talks prior to the Premier League match at Brentford Community Stadium, London. Picture credit should read: Jacques Feeney / Sportimage PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxUK SPI-1392-0009
Leeds United started the season as one of the favourites to go down, given how promoted teams have performed in the Premier League in recent years.
However, Daniel Farke’s men sit 15th in the Premier League table, six points clear of the relegation zone and have been backed to secure survival in the coming months.
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Their fellow promoted team, Sunderland, have done even better, and both teams are expected to play in the Premier League next season, arresting the recent trend.
Burnley are the only promoted team likely to go down, and the impact made by Leeds and Sunderland has been hailed by several pundits this season.
Gary Neville hails Leeds United’s impact on the Premier League
Gary Neville and former Everton boss Roberto Martinez brought up the fight for survival on The Overlap and how it is different in the Premier League this year, compared to previous seasons.
Martinez conceded that the gap between the Premier League and the Championship looked too big in recent years, due to the poor performances of the promoted teams.
However, he hailed the impact on Leeds and Sunderland this season, which has changed the narrative.
Martinez said, “From the outside, it seemed that the Premier League and the Championship were dragging away from each other.
“The three teams that went up also went down, but this year, with what Sunderland and Leeds have done, all of a sudden the gap is now smaller.”
The former Manchester United defender believes what Leeds and Sunderland have done brilliantly this season is to go back to basics and play more physical and aggressive football to boost their survival hopes.
He indicated that they have not repeated the mistakes the promoted teams have committed in recent years.
Neville added, “On what you [Martinez] said about Leeds and Sunderland, what happened in the last two or three years that teams that came up and tried to play football.
“No doubt that Leeds and Sunderland have gone back to basics.
“They have gone physical and aggressive.”
The Whites can’t afford to relax yet
Leeds are six points clear of the relegation zone, but they are still some way away from securing Premier League safety this season.
They are set to host Manchester City at Elland Road this weekend, and if results go against them, the gap could be down to three points by the end of the next round of fixtures.
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Daniel Farke needs to keep pushing his players to ensure they do not relax and continue picking up points to inch towards safety in the coming weeks.
Leeds look more stable than Tottenham and Nottingham Forest. However, West Ham’s recent form could be a real cause for worry at Elland Road.
However, their recent performances suggest that Leeds have enough grit and determination to ensure they will have the points need to secure Premier League safety.