Despite not playing at their best on Monday night, Leeds United defeated Hull City 3-1 to reclaim the automatic promotion spots.

Leeds lost to Bristol City, and Ipswich Town took full advantage to take the lead in the league. Leeds had the opportunity to close the gap with Leicester City after drawing with Watford, but they failed to do so.

Given that Leicester also triumphed, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the Tractor Boys pulled off another dramatic victory on Monday, defeating Southampton at Portman Road after falling down. This puts pressure on Leeds to defeat playoff-chasing Hull City.

Leeds 3-1 Hull: Whites edge Tigers despite poor showing

Although it seems cliché, for Leeds and Daniel Farke, outcomes are everything at this time in the season; performances take a backseat as long as the points keep rolling in.

Leeds played a lot of the game against Hull looking second best, forced into tough situations and clearly lacking a deep-lying midfielder to assist lead the team through the game after playing slowly against Watford.

Leeds took the lead through a header from Sam Byram, but Fabio Carvalho’s equaliser just before halftime left everything in doubt. The second half was tense as the visitors tried to push for a goal to take the lead.

Farke’s substitutions once more upset the equilibrium as the Tigers attempted to deflate the game. However, it was Crysencio Summerville who created a chance out of nothing, driving into the box and being brought down by Regan Slater. Summerville then took Joel Piroe’s penalty and composedly put Ryan Allsop down with a rolled penalty down the middle.

Liam Rosenior’s team’s late equaliser pressure finally paid off as Piroe found Dan James, who curled in from the touchline 50 yards from goal, trapping Allsop upfield and catapulting Leeds back into the top two.

 

Rob Palmer shares Leeds verdict after Hull win

Rob Palmer, a Hull City supporter and Sky Sports pundit, was extremely moved by Leeds’s perseverance during that match.

After this outcome, which he views as “mature” in their ability to cross the line, he thinks the Whites are in an excellent position for automatics:

Huge promotion race taking place right now

As you were in the automatic promotion spots, all three of the top three claimed victories on Easter Monday.

It is a little easier to understand if you assume Southampton is virtually guaranteed to make the playoffs after their loss to Ipswich.

With two more games left against Leeds and Leicester before the season is out, the Saints may easily make a lot of changes.

Leeds, however, shown the kind of charisma required to finish where we want to by winning the game while playing like the second-best team for the majority of it.