For a long while this term, it seemed as though the race for automatic promotion from the Championship to the Premier League would go right to the wire. For a sizeable chunk of the campaign, Sheffield United, Leeds United, Burnley and Sunderland were battling it out to finish in the top two, before the latter gradually fell away. The Black Cats have occupied a bit of a no-man’s land for some time now, behind the top three but well clear of all the rest and they are assured of a spot in the play-offs.
So too are Sheffield United, with the Blades picking the wrong time of the season to suffer a drop in form. Chris Wilder’s men first entered the top two after the ninth round of fixtures. In all, they have been inside the automatic promotion places for 25 gameweeks. After 39 matches they were top of the pile and looking good, but a terrible run of four defeats in five games has seen them eliminated from the race for automatic promotion.
| Position | Team | Played | Goal Diff. | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Leeds United (P) | 44 | +60 | 94 |
| 2nd | Burnley (P) | 44 | +46 | 94 |
| 3rd | Sheffield United | 44 | +25 | 86 |
| 4th | Sunderland | 44 | +17 | 76 |
| 5th | Bristol City | 44 | +8 | 67 |
| 6th | Coventry City | 44 | +5 | 66 |
With Sunderland and the Blades out of the race, any two from four has become two from two, with Leeds and Burnley now assured of playing Premier League football next term. The Championship so often provides thrills and spills aplenty and it has been yet another enthralling, roller-coaster campaign. Let’s take a look back at how Daniel Farke’s Leeds and Scott Parker’s Clarets finally got the job done.
Leeds Stutter but Four Wins See Them Home
Leeds began this season determined to earn promotion, having missed out in the play-off final last term. In the summer they lost a lot of big players – and goals – with Georginio Rutter, Crysencio Summerville and Archie Gray among the key losses. All went to the Premier League for handsome sums but left huge holes and initially there were doubts about the decision to let them go as the club made a slow start to the 2024/25 season.
Farke’s men drew their opening two games and then in their fifth match of the campaign were beaten 1-0 at home by Burnley. They steadily moved up the table but only briefly entered the top two after 13 games. They were top after 16 matches but dropped to third after 18. They then went on a brilliant run of 17 games unbeaten to surge clear at the top of the table. The title, let alone promotion, looked theirs for the taking and they were scoring freely whilst rarely giving up chances, let alone goals.
However, as spring came, they began to slip, with the last game of their unbeaten run a take 1-1 draw at home against West Brom. They then suffered defeat away at struggling Portsmouth and whilst they then beat Millwall, three consecutive draws set alarm bells ringing.
The third of those, at lowly Luton, saw them drop out of the top three and with Sheffield United set to play later in the day, automatic promotion was no longer in their hands. This was a real make-or-break moment for the West Yorkshire side but they got a huge boost when the Blades were surprisingly beaten 1-0 by Oxford United.
Leeds didn’t know it, but that would be the first of three consecutive losses for Wilder’s men and in the space of two and a half weeks, Farke’s side went from near-hopelessness to a guaranteed place in the Premier League. Leeds came good after the draw against Luton, beating Boro, a little fortuitously, 1-0, then seeing off Preston 2-1.
Then came the key Easter weekend, with all Championship teams playing on both Good Friday and Easter Monday. Leeds knew that if they won both of their games they had a chance of securing promotion and they edged past Oxford 1-0 away from home. A huge 6-0 home win over Stoke meant that if the Blades dropped points later that day – and they were playing away at Burnley – then Leeds would be up!
Burnley Beat Blades to End Promotion Battle
The 21st of April was a date that fans of Leeds, Burnley and Sheffield United would have earmarked long ago. That was the date that the latter two would clash, with Farke and co knowing that at least one and possibly both of their rivals would drop points. As things played out, the equation was very simple ahead of the Easter Monday clash at Turf Moor. A win for Burnley would mean automatic promotion for both them and Leeds, whilst a draw would be enough to see Leeds assured of going up.
A draw, however, would still leave the Blades with a lot of work to do, whilst even a win for them would have left two points adrift of the Clarets and five behind Leeds with just two games to go. In the end the home teams delighted their own fans and those of their rivals Leeds by keeping things very simple. They recorded a deserved 2-1 home win over Wilder’s outfit, with skipper Josh Brownhill getting both goals.
The midfielder opened the scoring after just 28 minutes, but the men from South Yorkshire hit back eight minutes before half time through Tom Cannon. Just before the break, Burnley were awarded a penalty and Brownhill slotted home to give his side the lead once again. The first half had seen chances for both teams but the second period was far quieter.
Despite desperately needing to get back into the game, the away side did not even muster a shot on target in the second half. Burnley managed just one as the game, surprisingly, rather petered out. The hosts had an xG of 0.30 in the second half but that was still more than double that of their opponents, the Blades capitulating rather meekly in the end. That will be a big concern for their manager and fans and they have now taken just three points from their last five games. From their last 11 matches, they have managed 15 points in total and that is not the sort of form a club wants to take into the play-offs.
The post-season is not of any concern to Parker and his side of course. Brownhill joked that his team had “bored their way” to the title, responding to criticism of the club. They have not scored anywhere near as many goals as Leeds – 61 compared to 89 after 44 games – and nor have they played the same brand of exciting football.
However, the Clarets thoroughly deserve their spot back in the big time, even if they have spent a big chunk of the campaign in third place. They have come good when it mattered most and are currently on an incredible unbeaten run of 30 league games! They have lost just twice all season and conceded a mere 15 goals from their 44 fixtures. They are set to smash the record for the fewest goals conceded in a Championship campaign and we wish both them and Leeds well in the Premier League.