Leeds United have every right to believe in their ability to make Premier League progress when the action resumes in a couple of weeks. The Whites were playing confidently in the weeks building up to the World Cup break and managed to pick up six points from their final three games.
Wins came over Liverpool and Bournemouth before the Whites lost 4-3 at Tottenham Hotspur in their final outing before the lay-off. However, United still sit just two points above the relegation zone and improvements must be made if they are to avoid being sucked into yet another battle against the drop.
Jesse Marsch has been working hard with his side over the last few weeks both at Thorp Arch and in Spain and he’ll be determined to see Leeds hit the ground running on their return to action. Manchester City will be Leeds’ first opponents after Christmas, with Pep Guardiola’s side making the trip to Elland Road on December 28, before Leeds head to Newcastle United on New Year’s Eve to round off the calendar year.
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Having troubled every top six club they have faced so far, Leeds will be confident of springing a shock or two upon their return. The Whites will then kick-off 2023 with four games that they simply must take points from.
Leeds Live takes a closer look at that pivotal run of games.
West Ham (h) – January 4
The Hammers have struggled for consistency this season and at the time of writing they sit below Leeds in the league table by a point. Only three teams have scored fewer goals than David Moyes’ side and they’ve struggled on the road, picking up just four points in seven games.
West Ham spent big in the summer on the likes of Lucas Paqueta and Gianluca Scamacca and they certainly have the firepower to hurt United, but they have been some way short of their best this season. As such, Leeds have the chance to get one over a potential relegation rival at Elland Road and they’ll probably be the favourites with the bookmakers going into the clash.
Marsch’s side have struggled to perform against teams in the bottom half of the table, but they have the opportunity to make a statement of intent against the Hammers.
Aston Villa (a) – January 13
Villa made the decision to part ways with Steven Gerrard in October and so far it seems that decision has paid off. The Midlands outfit have picked up maximum points against Brentford, Manchester United and Brighton, with the latter two coming under the stewardship of Unai Emery.
Emery will be aiming to make his mark at Villa Park during this mid-season break and he’ll want to see improvements in his side when the action returns. That makes it a tough game to predict for Leeds at this stage, but after pushing the Villans close with 10 men back in October, United should travel with confidence.
Brentford (h) – January 22
Revenge could be on Leeds’ mind ahead of this one. Everything that could go wrong for Leeds did at the Gtech Community Stadium as Brentford scored five goals thanks to some calamitous defending and Jesse Marsch was shown a red card.
That game left a sour taste and it provided plenty of motivation during Leeds’ extended break in September. Brentford are 10th in the Premier League table, but they haven’t really kicked on as many would have hoped since that win over Leeds, winning just two games.
Nottingham Forest (a) – February 5
Forest have struggled on their return to the Premier League, but before the World Cup break they were starting to show some form on home soil. The Reds picked up wins over Liverpool and Crystal Palace at the City Ground, while a win over Tottenham Hotspur came in the Carabao Cup, too.
As such, Leeds should expect a tough afternoon on the banks of the River Trent, but they should also be targeting three points. Forest are in the relegation zone and a result here could provide a significant boost to Leeds’ own hopes of survival.
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