The 42nd round of Championship matches saw the race for automatic promotion to the Premier League remain the same, benefiting both Leeds United and Burnley.
Burnley were the first of the three sides in action and both Sheffield United and Leeds United fans will have been excited when Watford went 1-0 up. But, Burnley came from behind to beat Watford 2-1.
Sheffield United were next and Chris Wilder’s side were expected to beat Cardiff City at Bramall Lane despite losing three on the bounce. They did just that, with relative ease, securing a decent 2-0 victory.
It put the pressure on Leeds, who took on Oxford United away. Daniel Farke facing a manager he had only beaten once in six meetings, in Gary Rowett. But Farke made it two wins from seven, a 1-0 victory.
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Speaking after Gustavo Hamer and Ben Brereton Diaz had scored the goals to end Sheffield United’s dismal run of three consecutive losses, Wilder commented on the race to finish in the top two places.
Speaking to Sheffield United’s YouTube channel, Wilder said that “it’s not done yet” before Leeds took to the field and beat Oxford United at The Kassam Stadium – a fixture that saw Sheffield United suffer a loss.
“It’s not done yet, we didn’t want it to be. We’ve obviously got to produce a huge performance and hopefully that will give us an opportunity of winning an incredibly important game of football,” he said.
What Leeds United now need to secure a place in the top two
If Wilder still believes his side can finish in the top two, it will not be replacing Leeds. The Whites now only need four points from the final three games, and that is even with Sheffield United beating Burnley.
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Wilder takes his Blades to Turf Moor on Monday. A win against Burnley will see them go within two of Scott Parker’s side, but this is a team unbeaten in 30 games since November 3 – rarely conceding goals.
Of course, Leeds will be targeting nine points from the remaining three matches against Stoke, Bristol City and then Plymouth. But realistically, they need a win and a draw to finish in the top two this season.