Overview
Leeds United, as one of the three new players to play in the Premier League, is considered the top candidate for the relegation battle in the 2025-2026 season, alongside the remaining two newly promoted teams Burnley and Sunderland.
Despite an impressive start with a 1-0 victory over Everton on the opening day, Leeds had difficulty maintaining positive results in the following weeks. They only had 2 more wins and 2 draws in the next 12 matches at the tournament.
The turning point came in the 3-1 victory over Chelsea in the opening match in December last year. Since then, coach Daniel Farke's team has entered a series of improved performances that last to now.
Leeds have only lost 2 in their last 11 Premier League matches, with 3 wins and 6 draws, thereby rising to 16th place and creating a 6-point gap with the relegation group.
However, Leeds just suffered a painful 0-4 defeat to Arsenal last weekend. They have also only won 1 in their last 7 Premier League matches. In the context of West Ham United winning 2/3 of their recent matches, Farke certainly wants the team to quickly regain momentum to widen the safe distance.
That becomes even more urgent when Leeds hosts Nottingham Forest this weekend. Forest is one place behind the home team due to inferior goal difference when the two teams have the same 26 points.
If Leeds made an impression when returning to the top division, Forest went through a season of fluctuations. After finishing seventh in the 2024-2025 season and spending heavily in the summer, expectations placed on them are very high, at least they must stay in the upper half of the table.
Despite opening with 1 win, 1 draw, 1 loss in the first 3 rounds, the public rift between the club and Nuno Espirito Santo led to the unexpected sacking decision. Ange Postecoglou was quickly appointed, but the time of the former Tottenham coach was a disaster. This team did not win in 8 matches he coached (6 losses, 2 draws) before Postecoglou continued to be sacked.
Forest then appointed Sean Dyche as their third head coach this season. Through 23 matches in all competitions, Dyche had 10 wins, 4 draws and 9 losses. Initially, he created an immediate positive effect when he won 4, drew 1 in the first 8 Premier League matches, and also achieved an important result in the UEFA Europa League to take Forest to the knockout stage.
However, a streak of 4 consecutive defeats in the late 2025 and early 2026 made Forest almost dragged deep into the relegation battle. However, they have stabilized again in recent weeks with 2 wins and 2 draws in the last 4 matches.
Currently, Forest is ranked 17th, 6 points ahead of the relegation zone. Therefore, adding 3 points against Leeds - an opponent who is also in the dangerous group - will be of great significance for the goal of staying in the Premier League.
In the first leg, Forest once won convincingly 3-1 thanks to goals from Ibrahim Sangare, Morgan Gibbs-White and Elliot Anderson, and they will aim to repeat this result at Elland Road.
However, Leeds this season is not easily intimidated at home. In 12 matches at Elland Road, they have 5 wins, 4 draws and only 3 losses - an important fulcrum before the 6-point clash.
Expected lineup:
Leeds United: Darlow, Bornauw, Rodon, Struijk, Bogle, Ampadu, Gruev, Justin, Stach, Okafor, Calvert-Lewin.
Nottingham Forest: Ortega, Aina, Milenkovic, Murillo, Morato, Sangare, Anderson, Ndoye, Gibbs-White, Dominguez, Jesus.
The match between Leeds United and Nottingham Forest takes place at 3:00 AM on February 7th (Vietnam time).
