Yorkshire Evening Post

Leeds United kicked nine points clear of the drop zone with Friday night’s 3-1 win at home to Burnley - leading to a gigantic change in the club’s relegation odds in the bookies’ new predicted final Premier League table.

Daniel Farke’s Whites began the weekend in 15th place and sat six points clear of third-bottom Tottenham Hotspur but handed a chance to boot even further ahead through Friday’s visit of the already-relegated Clarets.

Despite being already down, Burnley lined up with a back five but Anton Stach’s stunning first half strike paved the way for a hugely important 3-1 victory in which Noah Okafor and Dominic Calvert-Lewin netted within eight minutes of each other after the break.

The win took Leeds up to 43 points as the Whites even jumped above Newcastle United, albeit the Magpies who are now one point adrift now have a game in hand.

But the gap that matters most to the bottom three now stands at nine points, Leeds nine points clear of third-bottom Tottenham who have only four games left starting with Sunday night’s trip to Aston Villa.

The Whites are now seven points clear of fourth-bottom West Ham who visit Brentford on Saturday afternoon and four points ahead of fifth-bottom Nottingham Forest who go to Chelsea on Bank Holiday Monday.

Friday’s win was clearly a massive, massive boost for a club who are now on the brink of mathematically sealing Premier League survival and it’s led to a monster change in the club’s relegation odds in the bookies’ new predicted final table.

Here is the full rundown in reverse order using the various very latest odds.

Leeds United have Premier League survival in their grasp following a commanding 3-1 win over Burnley on Friday night. Goals from Anton Stach, Noah Okafor and Dominic Calvert-Lewin pulled the Whites nine points clear of Tottenham Hotspur, even lifting them above Newcastle and into 14th having played a game more.

Daniel Farke and his players can now sit back and relax ahead of what is sure to be another dramatic weekend in the relegation battle. West Ham are due at Brentford tomorrow while Tottenham travel to Aston Villa on Sunday, with Nottingham Forest travelling to Chelsea on the Monday.

Following this bank holiday weekend, Leeds and their relegation rivals will have just three games left to seal their fate and secure Premier League safety. Below, the YEP takes a look at how the next few weeks will pan out for Farke’s side and those around them following this weekend’s games.

Leeds United are heading for Friday night’s hosting of Burnley sat six points clear of the drop zone - ahead of which the supercomputer has produced its new predicted final Premier League table and points.

Daniel Farke’s Whites know that victory against the already-relegated Clarets would create a nine point gap back to the drop zone with just three games left but with third-bottom Tottenham, fourth-bottom West Ham and fifth-bottom Nottingham Forest all still to play later this weekend.

All three teams face difficult away games, Spurs at Aston Villa on Sunday evening, West Ham going to Brentford on Saturday afternoon and Forest then heading to Chelsea on Bank Holiday Monday.

Thereafter, each team will have just three games left in the battle for Premier League survival, two of United’s coming against relegation rivals through trips to Tottenham and West Ham.

The games are running out in Tottenham’s quest to beat an almost unthinkable drop to the Championship for them and now the supercomputer from the team at FindSisterSites has unveiled its new predicted final table and points. Here, in reverse order, is the full new rundown.

Fitness issues are continuing to pile up for one of Leeds United's Premier League relegation rivals.

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One of Leeds United's key relegation rivals are facing another nervous injury wait amid reports a key striker could be out for the season.

Tottenham Hotspur picked up their first Premier League win since December last weekend, with a 1-0 win at Wolves coming courtesy of Joao Palhinha's second-half goal. The North London club remain third-bottom, however, with West Ham and Nottingham Forest also winning.

Victory at Molineux came at a cost too, with star attacker Xavi Simons forced off with a knee injury during the second-half, following an awkward-looking collision with a Wolves defender. Tottenham have since confirmed the Dutchman’s season is over due to an ACL rupture.

Spurs also lost striker Dominic Solanke during the first-half at Wolves, with the £65million signing going down off the ball and requiring treatment. He was eventually replaced by Richarlison amid concerns of a muscle injury for the 28-year-old, who had only recently returned from a recurring ankle issue.

"Solanke is a muscular injury,” Spurs boss Roberto De Zerbi said after Saturday’s win at Wolves. “I don't know what level of injury, and for Xavi it's a problem of the knee, and we're going to see in the next days, Monday or Tuesday. For Solanke, it's not a big problem. I don't know how many games we lose him.”

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The Telegraph have now reported that scans have suggested the presence of a grade-two hamstring injury, which could see Solanke sidelined for somewhere between three to eight weeks. Even at the earliest point of that range, the striker would miss two games but anything above a month would effectively end his season.

Dominic Solanke facing potential Leeds United absence with hamstring injury

Should Solanke’s injury keep him out for a month or more, he would become the fourth player to see their season ended early since De Zerbi took charge just four weeks ago. A setback for Mohammed Kudus saw his campaign cut short last month while captain Christian Romero and Simons suffered fresh recent issues.

Spurs boss De Zerbi will provide an update on Solanke in his Friday press conference ahead of Sunday’s trip to Aston Villa. An absence of just under two weeks from today would see the physical striker miss what looks set to be a relegation six-pointer at home to Leeds on May 11.

That trip to North London will be Leeds’ first opportunity to mathematically guarantee their safety, so long as results this weekend go their way. Simply put, better Spurs’ result in the next round of fixtures and get a point at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and Daniel Farke’s side would be over the line.

Leeds can put down an early marker when they host second-bottom and already-relegated Burnley at Elland Road on Friday. A win would take them nine points clear of 18th-placed Tottenham, who will have 12 points to play for including Sunday’s trip to Villa Park.

The YEP analyses the difficulty of Leeds United's remaining opponents compared to their relegation rivals.

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Leeds United aren’t guaranteed Premier League survival just yet but the finish line is in sight. Daniel Farke’s side reached the magic 40-point mark following last week’s dramatic 2-2 draw at Bournemouth and are now six points clear of 18th-placed Tottenham Hotspur with just four games to play.

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Such is the competitiveness of this year’s relegation scrap, however, that Leeds probably need another win before people can start truly looking ahead to the summer. Farke will hope to get that victory at the earliest possible opportunity when his side face Burnley on Friday evening.

That is the first of four more games and with help from Soccerstats.com, the YEP has analysed the difficulty of each team’s run-in, comparing the point-per-game average between the 34 opponents played so far and the four remaining. And it’s good reading for Leeds.

Leeds United’s gap back to the Premier League relegation zone has been cut - and data experts Opta have delivered a fresh Whites verdict in their new predicted final table and points.

Leeds signed off from the club’s survival bid for nine days with Wednesday night’s 2-2 draw at Bournemouth which left Daniel Farke’s Whites nine points clear of the drop zone with just four games left.

The win left Leeds nine points ahead of third-bottom Tottenham Hotspur, seven points clear of fourth-bottom West Ham and four points ahead of fifth-bottom Nottingham Forest but having played a game more than all three sides.

All three teams then had the chance to make ground again at the weekend as Leeds took on Chelsea in the FA Cup semi-finals and all three sides recorded the huge boosts of three-point hauls, Forest also massively improving their goal difference.

In a shock result to start the weekend, Forest romped to an amazing 5-0 win at Friday night’s hosts Sunderland which left them just one point behind the Whites.

Spurs and West Ham both played on Saturday afternoon and late goals gave both sides victories, Spurs winning 1-0 at already relegated Wolves and Callum Wilson netting a 92nd-minute winner for the Hammers in a 2-1 triumph at home to Everton.

West Ham’s win keeps Tottenham in the drop zone but only two points behind the Hammers, five behind Forest and six adrift of Leeds; all three sides now having four games left.

Ahead of the final four games shootout, stats experts Opta have now produced their new predicted final table and points which features a strong Whites call in the club’s quest to stay up.

Leeds United relegation rivals have been dealt a huge injury blow.

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Leeds United’s huge relegation rivals Tottenham Hotspur have been dealt a crushing injury blow with the news that a star man is out for the rest of the season.

Third-bottom Tottenham finally gave themselves a huge boost in their quest for Premier League survival with the weekend’s 1-0 win at Wolves although the team remained in the drop zone after West Ham also beat Everton.

Spurs, though, were dealt a big injury blow in the first half of Saturday’s contest at Molineux as Netherlands international winger Xavi Simons was forced off with a knee injury.

The 23-year-old had bagged a goal and an assist in the previous weekend’s 2-2 draw at home to Brighton but Spurs have now revealed that the 23-year-old has suffered an ACL injury which means that the midfielder’s season is now over.

“Honestly, I’m heartbroken. None of it makes sense”

A statement released by the club on Monday morning read: “We can confirm that Xavi Simons has ruptured the Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) in his right knee.

“The 23-year-old suffered the injury during the second half of our Premier League fixture at Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday.

“Xavi will undergo surgery in the coming weeks and, following that, will then begin his rehabilitation with our medical team.

“Everyone at Tottenham Hotspur sends Xavi our love and support - we will be with him every step of the way.”

Taking to his Instagram page, Simons admitted the blow had left him heartbroken as he wrote: “They say life can be cruel and today it feels that way. My season has come to an abrupt end and I’m just trying to process it. Honestly, I’m heartbroken. None if it makes sense.”

Spurs also lost striker Dominic Solanke to a muscular injury at Wolves, the forward starting the game but substituted but brought off five minutes before the break.

Speaking post match, boss Roberto De Zerbi said: “Solanke has suffered a muscular injury. It's not a big problem, I don't know how many games will lose him.”

Leeds United’s defeat in the FA Cup semi-final followed huge boosts for key Premier League rivals - leading to changes in the club’s relegation odds in the bookies’ new predicted final table.

Leeds signed off from the bread and butter of the club’s survival bid for nine days with Wednesday night’s 2-2 draw at Bournemouth which left Daniel Farke’s Whites nine points clear of the drop zone with just four games left.

The win left Leeds nine points ahead of third-bottom Tottenham Hotspur, seven points clear of fourth-bottom West Ham and four points ahead of fifth-bottom Nottingham Forest but having played a game more than all three sides.

All three teams then had the chance to make ground again at the weekend as Leeds took on Chelsea in the FA Cup semi-finals and all three sides recorded the huge boosts of three-point hauls, Forest also massively improving their goal difference.

In a shock result to start the weekend, Forest romped to an amazing 5-0 win at Friday night’s hosts Sunderland which left them just one point behind the Whites.

Spurs and West Ham both played on Saturday afternoon and late goals gave both sides victories, Spurs winning 1-0 at already relegated Wolves and Callum Wilson netting a 92nd-minute winner for the Hammers in a 2-1 triumph at home to Everton.

West Ham’s win keeps Tottenham in the drop zone but only two points behind the Hammers, five behind Forest and six adrift of Leeds; all three sides now having four games left.

For Leeds, two of those games are against relegation rivals, Farke’s Whites still to visit both Tottenham and West Ham - the latter game on the final day of the season.

Whichever way you look at it, the results for United’s main three rivals couldn’t have been any better and it’s led to changes in Leeds’ relegation odds but still a strong call on how the bookies view their survival prospects.

Here, using the very latest odds, is the bookies’ new predicted final Premier League table ahead of Friday night’s huge visit of already relegated Burnley.

Fresh twists in the battle for Premier League survival.

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Two big twists have provided huge boosts for two of Leeds United’s relegation rivals in a big survival bid landscape change.

Leeds moved nine points clear of the drop zone with Wednesday night’s 2-2 draw at Bournemouth although having played a game more than relegation-battling rivals Nottingham Forest, West Ham and Tottenham, all of whom play this weekend when Leeds are in action in the FA Cup.

Forest were first to play on Friday night and the Reds gave their survival hopes a massive boost with a huge 5-0 win at Sunderland which took them just one point behind 15th-placed Leeds on the same amount of games played.

The result left Leeds and Forest nicely clear of third-bottom Tottenham Hotspur and fourth-bottom West Ham although Tottenham and West Ham then had the opportunity to make ground again on Saturday afternoon with games against Wolves and Everton.

Both played at the same time and late goals gave both sides the huge boost of a precious three points, in Tottenham’s case their first league win of the year through a 1-0 success at already relegated Wolves.

Their clash at Molineux looked destined to end in a 0-0 draw as it headed towards the closing stages but Joao Palhinha bagged what proved the only goal of the game eight minutes from time.

West Ham, meanwhile, went ahead in the 51st minute of their clash at home to Everton through a Tomas Soucek strike but Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall looked to have dealt a hammer blow to their survival hopes when equalising two minutes from time.

The Hammers, though, provided one final twist as Callum Wilson netted the game’s winning goal in the second minute of second half stoppage time to seal a huge 2-1 win for his side.

After wins for both sides, Leeds now sit six points clear of the drop zone in being six points clear of third-bottom Tottenham with four games left.

Despite their victory, Spurs stay in the relegation zone, two points behind fourth-bottom West Ham who are now just three points behind Forest and four adrift of Leeds.

Leeds United have another point in their quest for Premier League survival thanks to Wednesday night’s last-gasp 2-2 draw at Bournemouth, leading to a brilliant Whites call in Opta’s new predicted final table and points.

Daniel Farke’s Whites went into Wednesday night’s clash at the Vitality Stadium sat eight points clear of the drop zone and knowing that a positive result would put them further ahead of relegation rivals Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham and Nottingham Forest.

All three clubs play their next fixtures this weekend when Leeds will be in action in the FA Cup through Sunday afternoon’s Wembley semi-final against Chelsea.

United’s progress in the competition led to the Bournemouth game being brought forward to become a midweek fixture and it looked set to end in defeat for Leeds as the Cherries led 2-1 deep into second half stoppage time.

But Farke’s men gave themselves another big boost as Sean Longstaff came off the bench to thump home a 97th-minute equaliser which sealed a 2-2 draw and put Leeds up to 40 points.

Third-bottom Tottenham, fourth-bottom West Ham and fifth-bottom Forest all now have a game in hand but Leeds sit nine points clear of Spurs, seven ahead of West Ham and four clear of Forest.

Moreover, 40 points is usually more than enough for Premier League survival and this is how stats experts Opta now have the final table looking featuring a brilliant call on the Whites’ ‘chances’ of going down.