Leeds United’s long-awaited return to the Premier League was sealed on Friday night following West Bromwich Albion’s 2-1 defeat to Huddersfield Town on the road.
The Baggies had the opportunity to boost their automatic promotion hopes at The John Smith’s stadium, but they were unable to do so after Arsenal loanee Emile Smith-Rowe bagged a late winner for the hosts in the 86th minute.
The victory for the Terriers has meant that only Brentford can leapfrog Leeds in the standings and that has therefore confirmed the latter’s promotion to the English top tier after a 16-year wait.
Marcelo Bielsa’s side are scheduled to face Derby County on the road on Sunday afternoon and they need a solitary point from the clash to ensure that they are promoted as the champions with one game left.
Meanwhile, Brentford have been offered an excellent chance of securing automatic promotion after the Baggies went winless for the third game running in the Championship.
The Bees were 10 points behind second-placed West Brom when the season was suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic in March, but they have been in tremendous form since the restart.
The west London outfit are currently on an eight-match winning streak (seven wins since the resumption) and their run has seen them close the gap to the Baggies to just the solitary point with a game in hand.
Thomas Frank’s side are set to take on Stoke City away from home in tomorrow’s early kick-off and a draw would be sufficient to see them leapfrog the Baggies to the second spot, given their superior goal difference.
Brentford have not played in the top-flight of English football for more than seven decades. They need a maximum of four points from their remaining two fixtures to end their long hiatus.
Despite the prolonged season, there has been plenty of excitement in the promotion race and Leeds fans will definitely be overjoyed tonight with their team set to compete with the Premier League’s best next term.
They could be crowned as the Championship winners as early as tomorrow, suppose Brentford drop points against Michael O’Neill’s side at the Bet365 Stadium.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com
