"The best team going" - Sunderland AFC & Sheffield United sent warning as Leeds United expectations rise | OneFootball

FLW's Leeds United fan pundit is bullish about Daniel Farke's side's chances of winning the league from this point.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Leeds United entered the 2024/25 Championship season with high expectations again under Daniel Farke. After the disappointment of the play-off final, things have started well for a team gunning for automatic promotion again this term.

Following relegation in 2023, the club needed a steady hand to lead their promotion charge. Farke, with two promotions to the Premier League on his CV, was the perfect fit. Leeds' aim was clear: bounce back at the first time of asking, but that didn't materialise last season.

Despite losing key players in the summer, promotion to the Premier League is the priority for Leeds every season as a second tier club, but especially after finishing third in the Championship with an impressive 90 points last season.

They are currently third in the November international break, but will hope to be inside the top two by the Christmas period.

Optimism is still high, but after narrowly miss out on automatic promotion, a squad overhaul was then inevitable. The recruitment largely seems to have been nailed on the whole, meaning they have had a more than solid start to the campaign, if not spectacular.

The verdict on where Leeds United will finish in 2024/25

We asked FLW’s Leeds United fan pundit Kris Smith for his thoughts on where he expects Leeds to finish this season based on everything that he has seen so far, and why, and his response was somewhat of a warning to fellow promotion contenders Sunderland and Sheffield United.

"It might seem very bold and potentially overconfident, but I am thinking Leeds should be winning the league this season," Kris told Football League World.

"From what I have seen so far from us, and from our rivals as well, it only cements that idea based on how we have played against the teams we are going to be competing against.

"We're two points off top spot, but statistically, we are a far better side than both teams above us in Sunderland and Sheffield United.

"Once we find that consistency and start to match the numbers we are putting up in all areas, as well as having key players returning, we could start flying and create a big gap to the teams behind us.

"Obviously, the Championship promotion race is never as simple as you have the better stats, so you're going up.

"But it's usually a strong indicator of where you're at, and Leeds are the best team in that regard, and I don't think we're far off actually being able to prove that in terms of a points tally.

"We're only two points off top, as I have just mentioned. If I were to hedge my bets, though, I would say Leeds are at least worthy of a top-two finish this season.

"We should be up there by the time it gets to May. It's just about holding our nerve, which we failed to do last season.

"And proving why many people, Leeds fans or neutrals, do believe we are the best team going."

The underlying data suggest Leeds United are the best team in the Championship

Sitting at the top of the play-off places as we approach mid-November, Leeds have shown glimpses of dominance but also moments of inconsistency, with disappointing defeats to Burnley and Millwall and five draws already.

However, Farke has built a resilient squad capable of competing at the top. With Pascal Struijk anchoring the defence, Willy Gnonto adding spark in attack, and Ao Tanaka pulling the strings in midfield.

As Kris alludes to, the underlying data and metrics tell their own story, with no one as dominant as Leeds are in both boxes on a consistent basis. That highlights a trend and that you can be confident of Leeds looking well-placed for a strong second half of the season.

Leeds are the second-best team for creating chances behind Middlesbrough, and the best defensive team in the division when also delving into the xGA (expected goals against figures as well — all stats per FotMob.

Maintaining this form, getting their best players fit consistently, and keeping their stars in January will be key to Leeds securing an automatic promotion spot.