Daniel Farke must heed Leicester City promotion example after steady Leeds United start

Ninety points was the total Leeds United hit last season before missing out on an immediate return to the Premier League.

Daniel Farke's side finished just six points behind Ipswich Town in second place and seven points behind eventual Championship title winners Leicester City. The Whites clawed back an early deficit created by the top-two in the early part of the 2023/24 campaign, running them close before an end of season slump in form proved costly.

Enzo Maresca's Foxes won 13 of their opening 14 league fixtures last season, with 39 points to their name by the end of October. It looked as though they would walk their way to the second-tier title, suffering from just three defeats up until February.

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Leicester highlighted how important it is for eventual promotion winners to get off to a positive start, with West Brom and Sunderland looking to repeat the feat this time round. Like City, Farke's side would hit a rough patch during the Championship run in, eventually costing Leeds promotion.

The Whites are just four points behind Leicester City's points tally last season, two points ahead of their own points haul at the same stage. Farke's side have shown no sign of a play-off final hangover, but have a tough run of games on the horizon.

A trip to Sunderland in the next fortnight allows Leeds to right some of the wrongs from last season. The Black Cats have made a surprising start to the season, suffering just one defeat in their opening six games, winning the other five.

The Wearsiders took four points off Farke's men last season and a win at the Stadium of Light would be an impressive early scalp, though not an place to visit as Burnley have recently discovered. Sunderland look rejuvenated under Regis Le Bris, and though there's a new man at the helm on the banks of the River Wear, Leeds must look to replicate what the Foxes did in the North east last season.

Mike Dodds claimed a win over the Whites in his first interim stint in charge of Sunderland last season, before a more difficult second spell. It was during that second spell where Leicester City claimed a 1-0 win over the Black Cats and Leeds must similarly, find a way to win against their promotion rivals, not only to claw back the early deficit set by the Wearsiders and West Brom but ensure there's no repeat of Leicester and Ipswich town running away with things.