Leeds United rivals boosted ahead of West Ham vs Arsenal clash and Tottenham trip

Two of Leeds United’s relegation battling rivals were in action on Sunday afternoon.

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Leeds United relegation-battling rivals have been boosted ahead of Sunday’s potentially safety sealing clash between West Ham and Arsenal and Monday night’s trip to Tottenham Hotspur.

Leeds began the weekend seven points clear of third-bottom West Ham with just three games remaining, meaning a defeat for West Ham in Sunday afternoon’s 4.30pm kick-off at home to title-chasing Arsenal would leave the Whites mathematically safe.

Leeds also entered the weekend sat six points clear of Monday night’s fourth-bottom hosts Tottenham but also one point ahead of fifth-bottom Nottingham Forest and ahead of 15th-placed Crystal Palace on goal difference.

Ahead of West Ham playing Arsenal, Forest and Palace both played on Sunday afternoon in 2pm kick-offs, Palace at home to Everton and Forest hosting a Newcastle United side sat directly above Leeds and only two points ahead of them.

In a double boost for United’s rivals, both sides picked up a point, Palace drawing 2-2 against the Toffees and Forest also bagging a late leveller to seal a 1-1 draw against the visiting Magpies.

The results have led to Leeds dropping down two places in the table to 16th but with both Forest and Palace in hailing distance ahead of Monday’s game in hand at Spurs.

Forest have gone above Leeds on goal difference whilst Palace are now one point ahead of the Whites.

The point for Newcastle also made them mathematically safe from relegation, the Magpies three points ahead of Leeds but having played a game more.

At Forest, Morgan Gibbs-White was among those missing for an injury hit Reds side whose boss Vitor Pereira made three changes to the side that started Thursday evening’s Europa League semi-final second leg defeat at Aston Villa.

Chances were few and far between in the first half, Newcastle striker William Osula squandering the best opportunity when played in one on one but denied by a good save from Forest keeper Matz Selz.

After the break, a similar chance presented itself for Forest’s Taiwo Awoniyi but Magpies keeper Nick Pope pulled off a similarly good save.

Back at the other end, Forest keeper Selz made two more saves to deny Bruno Guimaraes and a deflected free-kick from Osula then crashed back off the crossbar.

Joelinton was then the next player to be denied by Selz but Newcastle finally made the breakthrough in the 75th minute through Harvey Barnes who was played in by Jacob Ramsey and produced a clinical finish to finally beat Selz.

His strike looked set to prove the winning goal but former Newcastle midfielder Elliott Anderson applied a lovely finish from a tight angle in the 89th minute to seal a 1-1 draw.