All but safe? Leeds ease 'anxiety' - and increase pressure on others

No club has ever been relegated with 43 points at the end of a Premier League season - so have Leeds already done enough to secure survival? By Keifer MacDonald BBC Sport journalist Dominic Calvert-Lewin had barely finished celebrating before Leeds United supporters underlined their belief that Premier League survival had been secured. Chants of "we are staying up" echoed around the stadium as Leeds closed in on another season of top‑flight football. Their 3-1 victory moves the Whites up to 14th in the table and almost certainly guarantees Premier League football in West Yorkshire next season. After the game, defender Ethan Ampadu said Leeds had put themselves in a "strong position" before the final three games of the season.

"We like to think we've put ourselves in a strong position with three games left. Hopefully, three more good results." It promises to be a joyful long weekend for Leeds supporters - but how long must they wait before safety is mathematically confirmed? Officially, there is still work for Leeds to do to seal their Premier League status for another season. After dispatching Burnley with ease on Friday, the Whites are nine points and four places above 18th-placed Tottenham , who occupy the third and final relegation spot. It is worth pointing out that four of the teams directly below Leeds - Newcastle , Nottingham Forest , West Ham and Spurs - all have a game in hand on Daniel Farke's side.

Leeds could mathematically secure their place in the top flight next term with a victory at Tottenham - last season's Europa League winners - on 11 May. The even better news for Leeds is no team has ever been relegated from a 38-game Premier League season with 43 points or more. "This is massive for Leeds ," said former Whites midfielder Stuart Dallas on Sky Sports. "You look at it now and think there was never any doubt - but there is always that anxiety." If Leeds are able to retain their top-flight status, the majority of supporters are likely point to wins against relegation rivals Wolves , Burnley and West Ham as the defining moments of the season. After goals from Phil Foden and Josko Gvardiol put City 2-0 up inside 25 minutes, Leeds were left fearing the worst.

It was a tactical switch that allowed Leeds an extra man in midfield and, crucially, offered extra support to summer signing Calvert-Lewin in attack. Although Leeds saw a point snatched from their grasp when Foden scored a stoppage‑time winner, the performance - and a new tactical blueprint - offered both the club and Farke a road to redemption. Leeds bounced back from the defeat against Pep Guardiola's side by taking four points from a possible six against Chelsea and reigning champions Liverpool in the next two games. "The points they've produced since the start of December has been fantastic." Since then, Leeds have lost only four out of a possible 19 league games - the ninth-best record in the division. If Leeds are just about there, what does that mean for the teams below them?

The Whites' victory over Burnley meant Newcastle slipped down to 15th, having themselves gone on a run of four successive losses. The data experts say Spurs, who face Leeds , Chelsea and Everton after Sunday's game at Villa Park, are favourites to go down with a 59.8% chance. West Ham are the second-most likely to join Burnley and Wolves in the Championship next season on 38%, with Forest a much longer shot on 2%. No club has ever been relegated with 43 points at the end of a Premier League season - so have Leeds already done enough to secure survival? Leeds ease 'anxiety' - and increase pressure on others