Brentford lose at Stoke to confirm Leeds as champs
LONDON: Leeds United clinched the Championship title without kicking a ball on Saturday as Brentford’s 1-0 defeat at Stoke handed the trophy to Marcelo Bielsa’s side.
Leeds had celebrated promotion to the Premier League on Friday evening when second-placed West Brom lost 2-1 at Huddersfield.
Less than 24 hours later, champagne corks were popping at the Yorkshire club again after third-placed Brentford’s defeat ensured Leeds will go up as champions.
Bielsa’s team, who were to face Derby yesterday, have two games left and hold a five-point lead over West Brom, who have one match to play.
Brentford’s loss, sealed by Lee Gregory’s first-half goal for Stoke, handed the initiative back to West Brom in the race to join Leeds in the Premier League.
The top two in the Championship go up automatically and West Brom, one point ahead of Brentford, will be promoted if they win their last game against QPR on Wednesday, or if the Bees lose their final match against Barnsley.
Fourth-placed Fulham are also in the hunt, two points behind West Brom after beating Sheffield Wednesday 5-3 on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Leeds plan to offer Marcelo Bielsa a contract extension after the Argentine ended the club’s 16-year exile from the Premier League.
Leeds are back in the big time for the first time since 2004 thanks to Bielsa’s remarkable impact in just two seasons in charge.
Leeds chief executive Angus Kinnear told the Yorkshire Evening Post he is due to hold talks with director of football Victor Orta, owner Andrea Radrizzani and Bielsa next week.
Bielsa, 64, has rarely stayed long at any club, but Kinnear believes he is happy in west Yorkshire.
“The challenge with Marcelo is that intentions are always a bit of a mystery because he’s always focused on the next game, you’re a brave man to try and distract him from the task of the next match,” he said.
“I think he’s fallen in love with the club, I think he’s committed to it. I actually think he was committed to the Championship.
“If we hadn’t made it, it would probably have been the case that we’d be competing in the Championship with a younger squad and I think that challenge appealed to him.”