Leeds United and Middlesbrough amongst Championship best in two departments | OneFootball

Leeds United and Middlesbrough's underlying data numbers are extremely promising from the first seven games.

With the 2024/25 Championship season already well underway, there are a number of sides who have become the early pace-setters at the top of the division, but Leeds United and Middlesbrough may have the most reason to be optimistic about what the season might hold.

The Championship is set to be an exciting battle at both ends of the table once again, but after Ipswich Town, Southampton, and Leicester City secured promotion last season, the top end of the division looks more wide-open than ever.

Plenty of teams will be eyeing a place in the Premier League via the two automatic promotion spots available. However, it remains one of the most competitive divisions in Europe, if not the world, and unpredictability is perhaps the salient word to use when describing the second tier.

The likes of Watford and Blackburn Rovers have started better than most fans and pundits alike would have imagined, but a lot of the other names involved at the top of the division are the pre-season favourites, including two of the recently relegated sides and the play-off final loser in Leeds.

Leeds United and Middlesbrough's start to the season is promising data-wise

For most neutrals heading into the season, it was difficult to look past the likes of Leeds and Burnley.

The quality of their squads in terms of depth and individual players, as well as the presence of two double-winners of the Championship in charge in Daniel Farke and Scott Parker, makes them hard to look beyond.

Luton Town should be a strong side in the long-term under Rob Edwards, whilst Michael Carrick and Carlos Corberan are two of the great tactical minds in the Championship.

It highlights the strength of the division, but there are two sides impressing in the data the most thus far: Leeds and Middlesbrough.

According to FotMob, the pair are both among the best three sides in the division per the xG (expected goals) for and xGa (expected goals against) data, meaning that they are creating high quality chances and also not giving up many clear-cut shots on average at the other end.

Leeds entered this season looking to go one better than last season under Farke and gain promotion back to the Premier League.

Despite navigating a difficult window in terms of outgoings, they ended it well and will hope that they have the required depth, quality, and output in their ranks to mount another promotion push.

The objective now is to gain promotion to the Premier League and there will be real disappointment if the club fail to do so this time around.

Middlesbrough perhaps have slightly lower expectations, but they have been in the mix for the play-offs for two seasons in a row now under Carrick.

Many are expecting them to kick on this season, and whilst Carrick remains in charge, they are expected to be a side challenging for the play-offs, if not in and around the automatic promotion places.

Despite ultimately falling short last term, in part due to an ever-growing injury list over the course of the season, there will remain optimism that they can make the cut in 2024/25 instead.

Obviously, the underlying data is only an indicator of the strength of a team's performance week-to-week and not the raw data in terms of points which will be what ultimately decide promotion.

However, the trend so far over a seven-game sample size is something to excite both sets of supporters.

Not only that, but their play styles are near-mirrored when looking at the xG, xGA, and also the in possession stats and number of passes per 90.

Both are in the top three in the league in each category, showcasing their ability to dominate games and manage them once they have taken the lead as well; in that respect, they are two of the best sides in the league.