Leeds United reignited their hopes of automatic promotion to the Premier League with a thrilling 4-3 victory over Middlesbrough on Monday. The win, courtesy of a brace from Crysencio Summerville, propelled Leeds into second place, one point ahead of Ipswich Town.
Leeds’ recent struggles, which saw them winless in their previous three Championship matches, threatened to derail their promotion aspirations. However, they responded with a spirited performance at the Riverside Stadium.
Middlesbrough drew first blood through Isaiah Jones’ early strike, but Leeds rallied with Summerville converting a penalty and Patrick Bamford silencing the home crowd with a goal against his former club. Emmanuel Latte Lath equalized for Boro, but Leeds regained the lead through a controversial goal from Wilfried Gnonto, who was clearly offside.
Summerville’s stunning curling effort extended Leeds’ advantage, but Latte Lath’s late header set up a tense finish. Leeds held on for a crucial victory, keeping their promotion hopes alive.
“As defenders, we’d like to make it a bit easier, but at this stage, it’s just a massive win,” said Leeds captain Ethan Ampadu. “Still two massive games to go. For us, there is a lot of hard work to go.”
Leeds’ triumph means that even if league leaders Leicester City defeat Southampton on Tuesday, they cannot mathematically secure promotion. The race for automatic promotion remains wide open, with Leeds and Ipswich battling it out for the top two spots.
