Leicester City joined Leeds United in suffering defeat on the weekend as both sides missed massive opportunities to grab the race for automatic promotion by the scruff of the neck, losing to Plymouth.
The Foxes went from first to 2nd as Plymouth defied the odds to win 1-0 at Home Park on Friday night. It handed Leeds and Ipswich massive chances to gain an advantage on Saturday – but neither side took it.
Leeds huffed and puffed but lost 1-0 to Blackburn a Sammie Szmodics scored his 30th of the season in the last 10 minutes. The goal saw Leeds lose their unbeaten home record in the Championship this term.
Ipswich played later in the afternoon, taking on Michael Carrick’s play-off chasing Middlesbrough. But Luke Ayling laid on his fifth assist of the season for Boro to open the scoring. the game finishing 1-1.
The race for promotion is now at crunch time, Leeds need wins
So, as things stand, Leeds are in third – playing 43, on 87 points. Leicester are second, on 88 but with a game in hand. Ipswich are top with 89 points, but have played a game extra than Enzo Maresca’s men.
It all remains up in the air. It is probably argued that Leicester stand the best chance of the three to go up, given their game in hand and the fact that they currently sit in the top two. Of course, it is all to play for.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall was at the EFL awards last night. Archie Gray won the Young Player of the Season, Crysencio Summerville won Player of the Season. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall missed out on the latter.
He was a part of the Team of the Season alongside Georginio Rutter and Ethan Ampadu, and he spoke to TalkSPORT afterwards – praising both Leeds and Ipswich for sticking with Leicester in the race to go up.
What Leicester’s Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall has said about Leeds
“There’s been games where we should’ve won and we haven’t but then again you do start getting worried when you can’t finish games off. Fair play to Ipswich and Leeds, they haven’t given us a rest all season.”
So, with three games for Leeds and Ipswich and four for Leicester, it is still completely up in the air. The Whites are next in action against Middlesbrough at The Riverside which will be tough match to win.
But, Boro will be without Luke Ayling and Sam Greenwood, which could prove decisive. Leeds then go to QPR and host Southampton. Leicester have a tough run of West Brom, Southampton, Preston, Blackburn.
Two clubs that are in the play-offs, two clubs that are banana skins. Ipswich have the easiest run in, with Hull, Coventry and Huddersfield left. Gary Lineker was left bemused at “nobody” managing to win.