Leeds must pick up three points against Tottenham on Sunday afternoon to secure their place in the Premier League for next season.
Nothing less than a win will be enough for Leeds, with their 3-1 loss against West Ham in their last outing leaving them 19th in the table, two points from safety. For Sam Allaryce's side to confirm their safety, they will need to beat Spurs whilst hoping Leicester draw or lose, and Everton lose to Bournemouth.
Standing in the Whites' way is Spurs, though they are playing Ryan Mason's side at the best time, with the Lilywhites winning just one of their last eight league games. the last meeting between these two sides ended in a 4-3 win to Spurs who came from 3-2 down to win the game.
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So, could Leeds remain in the Premier League on Sunday? We simulated the game to try and find out
Leeds vs Tottenham score predicted by simulation
To run this simulation, we used FIFA 23, updating the squads with the latest injuries and suspensions.
We predict that the hosts could line up in a 4-3-3 formation, with the lineup looking as follows: Robles; Ayling, Kristiansen, Cooper, Wober; McKennie, Koch, Forshaw; Harrison, Rodrigo, Gnonto.
We predict that Spurs will line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with the lineup looking as follows: Forster; Royal, Sanchez, Lenglet, Davies; Bissouma, Hojbjerg; Richarlison, Kulusevski, Son; Kane.
Leeds started on top at Elland Road, with the hosts pressing high from the go and causing problems for Spurs. Most of the opening 15 minutes was spent in the visitor's half, and the pressure paid off when Leeds took a deserved lead.
Wilfried Gnonto used his pace to break down the left and cut inside, and after finding Rodrigo in the middle, the Spaniard poked the ball back into the path of the winger to send him through on goal. Having beaten the Spurs high line, the 19-year-old curled the ball around Fraser Forster when one-on-one to make it 1-0.
Spurs were struggling to escape their own half after going behind, with Leeds controlling every aspect of the game in a fantastic first-half performance. And, just before half-time, Allaydyce's side doubled their lead with a well-worked goal.
A short corner routine saw the hosts work the ball into the box, and when Gnonto received a pass in a shooting position, he was quickly closed down by a sea of defenders. Rodrigo was left open at the back post as his marker charged down the Italian, and Gnonto flicked the ball into the striker's path, allowing him to fire home for Leeds' second.
With a two-goal lead, the hosts sat deeper in the second half as they looked to defend their lead. Spurs were finding much more joy in attack in the second half, and they set up a nervy end to the game when they made it 2-1 in the 82nd minute.
A switch of play saw substitute Arnaut Danjuma receive the ball, and after cutting inside past Liam Cooper, the Dutchman curled a wonderful strike into the far corner to make it 2-1. Leeds defended fantastically in the final stages of the game to hold off the Spurs pressure, and they managed to claim a needed three points.
Full-time: Leeds 2-1 Spurs
Here are the full-time match stats.
FIFA 23 predicts that Leeds could do what they need to do on Sunday, beating Spurs 2-1 in the simulation. A fantastic attacking display in the first half followed by a strong defensive effort in the second gave the Whites the all-important three points, but Allardyce's side will be relying on Everton and Leicester to both drop points if they want to remain in the league for one more season.
What do you think the score could be vs Spurs? Let us know in the comments below.
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