In a weekend where everything that could go wrong did go wrong, Leeds United were dragged deeper into the relegation fight than they have been all season. A spirited performance - but ultimately one that lacked quality - at home to Manchester City ended with a 4-0 defeat and injuries to two of the club’s most experienced players.
Liam Cooper failed to make it through the warm-up, while Stuart Dallas’ late challenge on City’s Jack Grealish ended with a broken femur and a season finished. Jesse Marsch’s side pressed and harried, but lacked composure going forward and discipline when defending set-pieces.
Burnley were 1-0 down an hour before Leeds kicked off, but by full-time at Vicarage Road they had won 2-1 - two goals in the last 10 minutes giving Burnley their third win in a row since the sacking of Sean Dyche.
READ MORE: Leeds United now bookies favourites to be relegated after shock Everton win over Chelsea
Everton also won on Sunday, Richarlison’s goal earning all three points in a huge win at home to Chelsea. Jordan Pickford pulled off a string of quite unbelievable second-half saves to keep a lacklustre Chelsea at bay - Leeds fans will be hoping for a similar performance from Thomas Tuchel's men at Elland road in the near future.
The weekend’s results leave both Leeds and Burnley on 34 points - the Clarets higher on goal difference - while Everton’s win takes them to 32 with a game in hand. Eyes now turn to next weekend, as each of the three clubs weigh up their run-in and count up their points.
Whites must take something from next two
The reason Leeds are the bookies favourites to go down is because it is hard to see them picking anything up from their next two games, making the final two - winnable in normal circumstances - all the more nerve-wracking.
They travel to an Arsenal side with three wins on the bounce and Champions League qualification to play for, before a midweek visit of Chelsea who are by no means guaranteed a top-four spot. The fact that Tuchel’s side have an FA Cup final to plan for that weekend may help Leeds, but Jesse Marsch’s side need to take something from those games.
Whites’ fans have long looked at the final two games as the ones they need to win, with a home tie against Brighton before a final-day trip to Brentford. Neither have anything to play for anymore but both took points from the Whites earlier in the season with two draws.
Toffees have crucial three-game period
Next up for Frank Lampard’s side is a trip to Leicester which, given Everton’s away form, is far from easy. The Foxes are unbeaten in their last 10 home games in all competitions but have a huge Europa Conference League semi-final at Roma on Thursday.
There is only one thing worse than Everton’s away record, and that’s Watford’s home record. The Hornets lost their 11th home game in a row on Saturday and show no sign of stopping that wretched run. After that, The Toffees host consecutive home games against Brentford and Crystal Palace in a massive three-game period in which they can either pull into safety or drop into the abyss.
The final day sees Lampard’s men travel to Arsenal in a tough game on paper. How much Arsenal will need that game depends on their position come the final day.
Burnley have momentum but tough games ahead
Burnley’s turnaround under Mike Jackson has been quite remarkable. They had won four league games all season under Dyche before winning three on the bounce since his sacking. They have all the momentum, but more pessimistic Clarets may look at their final four games with worry.
They have two games against Aston Villa, who can blow hot and cold in equal measure, as well as a trip to Champions League-chasing Tottenham before a final day clash with Newcastle United at Turf Moor.
Leeds fans will hope that Steven Gerrard’s Villa can turn up on both occasions, but The Clarets' three-game streak will give them huge momentum. The only surety is that it will go right down to the wire.
