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Leeds United’s brilliant first season back in the Premier League has been recognised.
Leeds United have been named one of the Premier League’s two most improved sides after making a ‘massive jump’ up from the Championship.
The Whites have all but secured their top-flight status for another year following last week’s commanding 3-1 win at home to Burnley. Goals from Anton Stach, Noah Okafor and Dominic Calvert-Lewin took Daniel Farke’s side onto 43 points, seven clear of 18th-placed West Ham with just three games to play.
Sunderland quickly pulled away from trouble and a six-game unbeaten run has seen Leeds just about go clear of one of the most competitive relegation battles in recent memory. And the newly-promoted pair were joint-named this season’s most improved top-flight side by former Manchester United defender Gary Neville.
“I think Sunderland could come into it from being in the Championship and being where they are now,” Neville told The Overlap, discussing the award. “And then Leeds could probably come into it.
“I wouldn’t be too far away from going Sunderland and Leeds. I think to play in the Championship and stay in the Premier League has become a massive jump. Shall we go for both of them together?”
Farke has regularly highlighted the gap between Championship and Premier League this season, citing the last six newly-promoted teams who all suffered instant relegation. All went down without much of a fight and in both 2023/24 and 2024/25, just 27 points would have been enough to stay up.
Roy Keane and Ian Wright agree on Leeds United award
Last summer, Leeds were joined by fellow newly-promoted sides Sunderland and Burnley as many peoples’ favourites to fall victim to a similar fate. But even in a season where 40 points could realistically end in relegation, the Whites and Black Cats have defeated the odds.
“You’ve got to give credit to the two teams who have stayed up,” Neville’s former teammate Roy Keane said. “We’ve all seen the stats from promoted teams over the last few years, and we all asked at the start whether two of them could stay up.”
Owners 49ers Enterprises knew they had to get virtually every decision right this season in order to stand a chance. While marquee signings like Igor Paixao proved just out of reach, they recruited brilliantly, combining ceiling-raisers like Anton Stach or Noah Okafor with steady arrivals such as James Justin or Sean Longstaff.
The decision to stick with Farke, even during a huge period of pressure through autumn, has also proven correct. The Whites boss bounced back from six Premier League defeats in seven to lose just four of the next 22 – a run which drew recognition from Overlap co-host and ex-Arsenal striker Ian Wright.
“I’d say Leeds. You know what? Farke has done well again, you have to give him some credit,” Wright added. “They went down, came back and now they’re here and they look like [a Premier League team]. I think he’s done well, Farke.”
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