BY: CHRISTOPHER FERNANDEZ

The 2024 – 2025 English Football League (EFL) Championship is drawing to a close and it looks like it’s going to be a three-cornered tussle to emerge winners between Leeds United, Sheffield United and Burnley.

While the top two teams are automatic qualifiers to the English Premier League (EPL), the third finishing team, the fourth, fifth and sixth teams go into a playoff to determine the third qualifier from the EFL Championship.

While the tension and pressure begins to build up, Leeds United manager, Daniel Farke, told the British Broadcasting Corporation in a televised interview that it’s going to go close and it’s definitely going to “go down to the wire.”

In the 2023 – 2024 season, Leeds missed an automatic berth to the EPL when they faltered towards the end to finish third in the EFL and failed in the playoffs to claim the third spot which left them absolutely gutted.

This season there are signs that cracks are beginning to appear in the facade of the temperamental Leeds United team, though after all teams in the EFL having played 37 games, they are top of the table.

But with nine more games to play, Leeds hold on to a slim two point lead over hovering Sheffield United with Burnely chasing the two top teams a further two points adrift but Leeds’ impressive goal difference could just make all the difference in the end.

**Christopher Fernandez has been a Leeds United supporter since 1972

-THE MALAYSIA VOICE