Former Sunderland and Aston Villa man delivers Leeds United relegation verdict

Leeds United are looking up the Premier League table ahead of their home double header with Bournemouth and Spurs.

Former Sunderland and Aston Villa star Darren Bent has given a positive verdict on Leeds United’s hopes of avoiding an immediate return to the Championship this season.

The Whites have experienced mixed fortunes during the opening month of their return to the Premier League after a narrow home win against Everton on the opening night of the campaign was followed by defeats at Arsenal and Fulham and a hard-fought home draw with Newcastle United.

A return to winning ways was secured on Saturday as Daniel Farke’s men came from a goal down to earn a 3-1 win at Wolverhampton Wanderers as summer signings Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Anton Stach and Noah Okafor all grabbed their first goals for the club.

The win has taken Leeds into twelfth place in the Premier League table as they now turn their focus towards consecutive home games with AFC Bournemouth and Tottenham Hotspur over the next fortnight. The victory had Molineux has boosted the mood around the Whites squad and they will hope to continue gaining momentum and push into the top half of the table with wins in their upcoming Elland Road double. Former England striker Bent believes the Whites have made ‘a great start’ to their Premier League return and now have a chance to preserve their top flight status this season.

“They have done really well”, Bent said on talkSPORT. “Good result against Wolves, and I know Wolves are not quite at it. But a good result on the back of getting beaten at Fulham and drawing against Newcastle, which was not a bad result. There are a lot of question marks around Daniel Farke and his Premier League credentials. However, he has given Leeds a great start and a chance of staying in the league this year.”

What has Daniel Farke said about Leeds United’s recent form?

Daniel Farke saw his side produce a great performance at Wolves.placeholder image
Daniel Farke saw his side produce a great performance at Wolves. | Getty Images

Speaking to the YEP after the victory, the Whites boss said: "I would have preferred to dominate the second half a bit more but if necessary to show steel is also important. We've shown many clean sheets last season and really good defensive behaviours in every game except Arsenal. I think the first five game days proved we belong in this league, we can win games on this level. In four out of five games we've had a chance to win, we definitely weren't the worst side in those games. It's important to show consistency. Today we missed offensive options, we're a bit thin anyway. It's not easy for us but to score three goals is pretty good for the whole feeling."

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