Leeds United and Aston Villa recorded a dramatic draw over the weekend.
Sky Sports pundit Liam Rosenior has warned Leeds United that it is difficult to pick yourself up for the playoffs after missing out on automatic promotion.
The former Brighton defender, who did just that with the Seagulls, backed Aston Villa to go all the way and earn promotion to the Premier League.
There is one more game to go in the regular season, with Dean Smith’s side hosting champions-elect Norwich City and Leeds travelling to already-relegated Ipswich Town this Sunday.
Speaking on the Debate on Sky Sports Premier League (30/04/2019 at 10:55 pm), Rosenior offered his thoughts on the playoff race as he had one clear winner.
“What I find is the team with the most momentum go on and push,” Rosenior told the Debate. “I can’t look past Aston Villa. Jack Grealish has come back from injury and they have won ten in a row up to the Leeds game on the weekend. They have been absolutely outstanding.
“Since Dean Smith’s gone in there, he’s been absolutely superb. He’s galvanised the club and they are on a steam train at the moment. I can’t look past them.
“I feel for Leeds. I have been there with Brighton. When you miss out on the automatic top two, your shoulders just slump because you’re so from doing something then you have to re-gather and go again from a physiological point of view. It’s difficult and they have a young squad at Leeds.”
As things stand, Villa are going to play Midland rivals West Brom in one of the semi-finals, while Marcelo Bielsa’s side will take on Derby County.
That can change on the final day of the season because the Rams have not secured a top-six finish yet and if Leeds drop points against Ipswich and Albion win then they will swap places.
But Paul Lambert’s Ipswich are sitting bottom-of-the-table for a reason and it would be a huge upset if they were to get anything from that encounter.
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