Leeds United presented with ideal window to make hay with Daniel Farke target within reach — Leeds Live 6/11/23

Just 10 games stand between Leeds United and the New Year and Daniel Farke's side have the opportunity to build a head of steam and eat into the current top two's advantage

The winter months are drawing in and Leeds United are approaching the end of a year few will forget in a hurry. There’s been a relegation, a takeover, controversy, anger, excitement and five different managers, but the Whites have the opportunity to end 2023 on a real high by making a statement in the race for promotion.

Leeds have just 10 games remaining before the turn of the year and they come at what looks set to be a pivotal point in the campaign. With the fixtures coming thick and fast over the festive period, Daniel Farke’s side will have their sights set on chasing down the Championship’s top two in Leicester City and Ipswich Town.

The pair, who have both been beaten by Leeds on home soil, have built up a comfortable lead for themselves at the top of the second tier at present. But, United will be heartened by their win at the King Power Stadium on Friday night and as they race towards the halfway point of the campaign, they’ll be determined to apply as much pressure as possible.

Every game is vital, then, for Farke’s side, but some fixtures stand out more than others over the remaining eight weeks of the year with the December 23 clash with Ipswich at Elland Road being hard to look beyond. At the time of writing the Tractor Boys are seven points clear of third place Leeds and while Kieran McKenna’s side do have a game in hand, Leeds will be looking to eat into their advantage and give supporters a very merry Christmas.

Other key fixtures inside Leeds’ final 10 of the year include a visit to West Bromwich Albion, who sit just two points and two places behind Leeds at present, while trips to promotion chasers Preston North End, Sunderland and Blackburn Rovers look particularly tricky, too.

So, what’s a realistic points total from Leeds’ final 10 outings of the year? Well, having picked up 28 points from their opening 15 games, the Whites are currently chugging along nicely at a rate of 1.87 points per game (ppg). Discount the opening three fixtures in which Leeds paid the price for a topsy-turvy summer, though, and Leeds have picked up 2.17ppg.

As such, continuing on that trajectory through the rest of November and December, or something close to it, has to be seen as the minimum if Leeds are to catch up and make a serious play at the automatic promotion places going into the New Year. That equates to between 21 and 22 points, which would see Leeds enter 2024 on 49 or 50 points.

Sheffield United, who were promoted automatically, had 50 points at the same stage last season, while eventual champions Burnley had 53, having already built up a comfortable lead over those trailing in the playoff spots. Of course, the unprecedented starts of Leicester and Ipswich make this campaign a little different, but there’s a lot of season left and Leeds can still count themselves to be in the hunt.

In fact, it feels as though Leeds are on something of a roll now, having won six of their last eight league games and Friday’s win over Leicester might just be the catalyst they need to go on and announce themselves as top two contenders, starting with a win over Plymouth Argyle on Saturday.