Archive April 21, 2025

Leeds United have sealed their return to the Premier League after two years back in the Championship.

Eight months is a long, long time in football and so it was that the mood around Leeds United three games into the season was in stark contrast to the one there now.

A helter-skelter 3-3 opening-day draw with Portsmouth was followed up by a thumping 3-0 home defeat by Middlesbrough in the Carabao Cup and then an uninspiring 0-0 draw at West Bromwich Albion.

Adam Pope

BBC Radio Leeds reporter

Off the back of a mind-numbingly boring goalless draw at West Brom, the climate ahead of the trip to Hillsborough felt like that around the Birmingham City defeat early on in the previous season.

Did Leeds have enough players to challenge for promotion? Georginio Rutter was on his way to Brighton, following Archie Gray and Crysencio Summerville to the Premier League. Was Willy Gnonto next to go before the window shut?

A clean sheet and a first victory of the campaign in what Farke described “the perfect away performance” allayed the fears of some fans who were considering whether to let Brenden Aaronson back into their lives after he had returned following jumping ship to Germany for a season.

His goal and the quality of Dan James’ finish provided some evidence that Patrick Bamford’s prophecy may prove true when he told his podcast partner Joe Wilkinson that week: “Every time that I’ve been in a team when we haven’t gone up, we’ve done it the next year. Hopefully that’s a good omen! “

Farke admitted after the game that more additions were needed and wingers Largie Ramazani and Manor Solomon duly arrived before deadline day.

Two defeats in their 12 matches after the Sheffield Wednesday win had seen Leeds cruise up towards the top two places.

Adam Pope

BBC Radio Leeds reporter

Then Swansea City head coach Luke Williams said before the game he fully expected Leeds United to be promoted having gone so close last season but he could not have predicted the glut of goals which followed on a weekend where Storm Bert had wreaked havoc throughout south Wales.

The fact Leeds scored four times was a big deal because the Swans had not conceded more than a single goal in 17 matches up to that point.

Sometimes the wisest thing to do is nothing at all.

With his side in scintillating form, Farke had been adamant he would only look to make additions if they were better than what he had.

Southampton striker Cameron Archer was linked with a move but it came to nothing and, two days before the transfer window closed, the Whites demolished struggling Cardiff 7-0.

Adam Pope

BBC Radio Leeds reporter

It felt like Leeds had gambled. Everybody knew the squad as it stood had the ability to win the league but the point was how much of it would still be standing if injuries hit?

How costly would it be not to sign a number nine with Patrick Bamford a long-term injury, or a proper number 10, and not to provide cover at centre-back? These were the big questions in the wake of a window which saw their main rivals strengthen while Leeds were left lighter.

Leeds headed into mid-February in great shape before back-to-back Monday night challenges against top-four rivals, Sunderland and Sheffield United.

The former took an early lead at Elland Road through Wilson Isidor and with time running out it looked like the Whites were going to fall to a damaging defeat.

Centre-back Pascal Struijk was the unlikely hero against the Black Cats as the Dutchman, on as a sub, headed in two wicked deliveries from fellow replacement Joe Rothwell to produce a dramatic turnaround.

Adam Pope

BBC Radio Leeds reporter

Five points clear at the top and for many it felt like promotion was guaranteed.

After the game left-back Junior Firpo gave a timely reminder that everyone should just calm down. He talked of the need to “stay humble”, that the job was “not done yet”. He was right and he was also correct about how powerful Leeds were late on in games.

Once the Dominican Republic international had deservedly equalised with a thumping header with 18 minutes remaining, Blades boss Chris Wilder and assistant Alan Knill looked spooked on the touchline.

Defeat looked inevitable for the hosts from that moment and Leeds did not disappoint. A precision header from Ao Tanaka and a rip-snorter from Joel Piroe ignited euphoria in the away end inside an otherwise empty Bramall Lane on full time.

Promotion had felt inevitable after those raucous Monday night wins in February but March brought the kind of jeopardy Whites fans had feared.

The unbeaten run which stretched back to a 1-0 reverse at Blackburn on 30 November was ended on 9 March by a 1-0 defeat at struggling Portsmouth.

Although Millwall were despatched 2-0 three days later Farke’s men then needed to recover from a horror start at QPR to escape with a 2-2 draw.

The international break looked like it had come at a good time to reset and refocus, with the lead over third-placed Burnley cut from seven points to just two.

Adam Pope

BBC Radio Leeds reporter

Gnonto looked to have won the game from the bench late on to send Leeds top and rescue goalkeeper Illan Meslier after a calamitous drop under no pressure had gifted Swansea an equaliser.

But Meslier eventually cost his side top spot and himself a place in the side thereafter by allowing another equaliser to squeeze through him from a tight angle in the final seconds.

The credit for his earlier penalty save was completely eradicated as it felt like a defeat and the Frenchman’s litany of errors was now too severe for him to keep his place.

“You have to suffer a little bit,” Farke told the press after the game and that, despite March seeing them slip from first to third amid a run of one win in five games, he was “100% confident his side would be playing Premier League football next season. “

Karl Darlow was given the gloves for the draw at Luton the week after the Swansea debacle.

There was little he could do to stop Isaiah Jones netting the opener before James levelled with a fine finish but some fans were unhappy that Farke called the point against the strugglers a good result as their own poor run stretched to one win in six.

However, Sheffield United’s unexpected loss at Oxford later that day, when a win would have moved them four points clear of the Whites, proved Farke’s words correct.

Adam Pope

BBC Radio Leeds reporter

This was a battering for Preston make no mistake.

Leeds backed up a gritty win at Middlesbrough to produce a cracking performance under intense pressure to hit the top of the table. Joel Piroe should have had a hat-trick but his battling and link-up play were intrinsic to United carving Preston apart. With James injured it needed him and Manor Solomon to step up. The latter was unplayable at times and scored a curling pearler in the first five minutes to set Leeds on their way.

Once in front Leeds do not lose and so it proved.

The news filtering through from Home Park of a third consecutive defeat for Sheffield United created an incredible atmosphere inside Elland Road for the latter stages of the match.

Coinciding with concrete news from the club’s owners that, in tandem with the council, steps were definitely being taken to expand its capacity the famous old stadium provided a timely reminder of how unique it is as a footballing experience.

Leeds United have sealed their return to the Premier League after two years back in the Championship.

Eight months is a long, long time in football and so it was that the mood around Leeds United three games into the season was in stark contrast to the one there now.

A helter-skelter 3-3 opening-day draw with Portsmouth was followed up by a thumping 3-0 home defeat by Middlesbrough in the Carabao Cup and then an uninspiring 0-0 draw at West Bromwich Albion.

Adam Pope

BBC Radio Leeds reporter

Off the back of a mind-numbingly boring goalless draw at West Brom, the climate ahead of the trip to Hillsborough felt like that around the Birmingham City defeat early on in the previous season.

Did Leeds have enough players to challenge for promotion? Georginio Rutter was on his way to Brighton, following Archie Gray and Crysencio Summerville to the Premier League. Was Willy Gnonto next to go before the window shut?

A clean sheet and a first victory of the campaign in what Farke described “the perfect away performance” allayed the fears of some fans who were considering whether to let Brenden Aaronson back into their lives after he had returned following jumping ship to Germany for a season.

His goal and the quality of Dan James’ finish provided some evidence that Patrick Bamford’s prophecy may prove true when he told his podcast partner Joe Wilkinson that week: “Every time that I’ve been in a team when we haven’t gone up, we’ve done it the next year. Hopefully that’s a good omen! “

Farke admitted after the game that more additions were needed and wingers Largie Ramazani and Manor Solomon duly arrived before deadline day.

Two defeats in their 12 matches after the Sheffield Wednesday win had seen Leeds cruise up towards the top two places.

Adam Pope

BBC Radio Leeds reporter

Then Swansea City head coach Luke Williams said before the game he fully expected Leeds United to be promoted having gone so close last season but he could not have predicted the glut of goals which followed on a weekend where Storm Bert had wreaked havoc throughout south Wales.

The fact Leeds scored four times was a big deal because the Swans had not conceded more than a single goal in 17 matches up to that point.

Sometimes the wisest thing to do is nothing at all.

With his side in scintillating form, Farke had been adamant he would only look to make additions if they were better than what he had.

Southampton striker Cameron Archer was linked with a move but it came to nothing and, two days before the transfer window closed, the Whites demolished struggling Cardiff 7-0.

Adam Pope

BBC Radio Leeds reporter

It felt like Leeds had gambled. Everybody knew the squad as it stood had the ability to win the league but the point was how much of it would still be standing if injuries hit?

How costly would it be not to sign a number nine with Patrick Bamford a long-term injury, or a proper number 10, and not to provide cover at centre-back? These were the big questions in the wake of a window which saw their main rivals strengthen while Leeds were left lighter.

Leeds headed into mid-February in great shape before back-to-back Monday night challenges against top-four rivals, Sunderland and Sheffield United.

The former took an early lead at Elland Road through Wilson Isidor and with time running out it looked like the Whites were going to fall to a damaging defeat.

Centre-back Pascal Struijk was the unlikely hero against the Black Cats as the Dutchman, on as a sub, headed in two wicked deliveries from fellow replacement Joe Rothwell to produce a dramatic turnaround.

Adam Pope

BBC Radio Leeds reporter

Five points clear at the top and for many it felt like promotion was guaranteed.

After the game left-back Junior Firpo gave a timely reminder that everyone should just calm down. He talked of the need to “stay humble”, that the job was “not done yet”. He was right and he was also correct about how powerful Leeds were late on in games.

Once the Dominican Republic international had deservedly equalised with a thumping header with 18 minutes remaining, Blades boss Chris Wilder and assistant Alan Knill looked spooked on the touchline.

Defeat looked inevitable for the hosts from that moment and Leeds did not disappoint. A precision header from Ao Tanaka and a rip-snorter from Joel Piroe ignited euphoria in the away end inside an otherwise empty Bramall Lane on full time.

Promotion had felt inevitable after those raucous Monday night wins in February but March brought the kind of jeopardy Whites fans had feared.

The unbeaten run which stretched back to a 1-0 reverse at Blackburn on 30 November was ended on 9 March by a 1-0 defeat at struggling Portsmouth.

Although Millwall were despatched 2-0 three days later Farke’s men then needed to recover from a horror start at QPR to escape with a 2-2 draw.

The international break looked like it had come at a good time to reset and refocus, with the lead over third-placed Burnley cut from seven points to just two.

Adam Pope

BBC Radio Leeds reporter

Gnonto looked to have won the game from the bench late on to send Leeds top and rescue goalkeeper Illan Meslier after a calamitous drop under no pressure had gifted Swansea an equaliser.

But Meslier eventually cost his side top spot and himself a place in the side thereafter by allowing another equaliser to squeeze through him from a tight angle in the final seconds.

The credit for his earlier penalty save was completely eradicated as it felt like a defeat and the Frenchman’s litany of errors was now too severe for him to keep his place.

“You have to suffer a little bit,” Farke told the press after the game and that, despite March seeing them slip from first to third amid a run of one win in five games, he was “100% confident his side would be playing Premier League football next season. “

Karl Darlow was given the gloves for the draw at Luton the week after the Swansea debacle.

There was little he could do to stop Isaiah Jones netting the opener before James levelled with a fine finish but some fans were unhappy that Farke called the point against the strugglers a good result as their own poor run stretched to one win in six.

However, Sheffield United’s unexpected loss at Oxford later that day, when a win would have moved them four points clear of the Whites, proved Farke’s words correct.

Adam Pope

BBC Radio Leeds reporter

This was a battering for Preston make no mistake.

Leeds backed up a gritty win at Middlesbrough to produce a cracking performance under intense pressure to hit the top of the table. Joel Piroe should have had a hat-trick but his battling and link-up play were intrinsic to United carving Preston apart. With James injured it needed him and Manor Solomon to step up. The latter was unplayable at times and scored a curling pearler in the first five minutes to set Leeds on their way.

Once in front Leeds do not lose and so it proved.

The news filtering through from Home Park of a third consecutive defeat for Sheffield United created an incredible atmosphere inside Elland Road for the latter stages of the match.

Coinciding with concrete news from the club’s owners that, in tandem with the council, steps were definitely being taken to expand its capacity the famous old stadium provided a timely reminder of how unique it is as a footballing experience.

When only a win would do, this draw felt like the point of no return for Cardiff City.

This was not how Aaron Ramsey would have dreamt his first game in charge of his boyhood club, teetering on the brink of relegation from the Championship.

Yet this was still a moment to savour for the Wales captain, who Bluebirds fans call one of their own.

The sight of Ramsey strolling along the touchline during the match against Oxford United will have felt surreal for many of those watching from the stands at Cardiff City Stadium, some of whom would have been at Ninian Park when a 16-year-old Ramsey played his first game for the club on another sun-dappled April afternoon in 2007.

Ramsey had left Cardiff as a boy and come back a man. Between his 2008 move to Arsenal and celebrated return to the Welsh capital two years ago, he had won FA Cups, starred in the Premier League and played a leading role in a golden era for Wales.

As Cardiff’s caretaker manager applauded the supporters before kick-off on Monday, it was almost like a second homecoming.

The warmth of the atmosphere inside Cardiff City Stadium was at odds with the mood outside beforehand, where fans gathered to protest against the club’s owner Vincent Tan and the board.

Given the team’s perilous position in the Championship table and the chronic antipathy from supporters towards the club’s hierarchy, the match against Oxford had all the makings of an afternoon of pure toxicity.

But in Ramsey, Cardiff – for years ravaged by division and discord – had a rare unifying force.

To put the 34-year-old in charge for the final three games of the season was undoubtedly a roll of the dice; a desperate measure from a board that has perpetually fumbled from one crisis to another.

For Ramsey, still registered as a player and with no coaching experience, there was a chance to enhance his hero status by inspiring an improbable escape act.

And despite the high stakes, it was relatively risk-free for his reputation because too much damage had already been done to lay any of the blame for relegation on him.

As for Tan, chairman Mehmet Dalman and chief executive Ken Choo, things could not get much worse.

The final stages of previous manager Omer Riza’s reign had deepened the wounds that have hurt this club in recent years, particularly its ever-worsening disconnect with its supporters.

So as glib as it sounds, the guiding principle for Ramsey’s appointment was simply: Why not?

Cardiff could only improve on the dismal end to Riza’s tenure, and that is precisely what they did under Ramsey.

With only a day to prepare for the Oxford game, he had assembled a new coaching team and instilled in his side an intensity and purpose that had been lacking under his predecessor.

A conversation with Wales manager Craig Bellamy helped. Former team-mates for club and country, the two men view football the same way, and Bellamy’s influence was clear not only in the way Ramsey had set up his team but in the way he talked about the game afterwards.

“I spoke to Bellers (Craig Bellamy) quite a bit. He’s helped me out quite a lot in that 24, 48 hours,” Ramsey said.

“We didn’t have a lot of time to work on tactical things, so I didn’t want to overload the players with too much information.

“We had a day to do that. We had to take in a bit from meetings, but it was more about trying to get your principles across and habits. “

In such a short space of time, some familiarity can be useful. Ramsey needed to lean on people he could trust as well as those he rated.

He brought in his great friend and former Wales team-mate Chris Gunter alongside Cardiff club captain Joe Ralls – like Ramsey, currently out injured – and Wales’ Ryland Morgans as his assistant coaches.

As kick-off approached, it was Gunter who Ramsey turned to for a hug and some words of encouragement.

Having come through the youth ranks at Cardiff, Ramsey and Gunter had been inseparable as Wales room-mates and north London neighbours with the former’s move to Arsenal coming just a few months after the latter’s transfer to Tottenham Hotspur.

While Gunter and Ralls took the players through their pre-match training drills, some of the chatter in the stands turned to weighty issues as fans waited for Ramsey to appear. What would he wear?

Would he be in a club tracksuit like Gunter and Ralls? Or go full suit and tie? He might even be tempted with the long puffer coat once favoured by his former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger.

The answer was a black long sleeve polo shirt and black slacks with dark leather trainers; the kind of casual look Pep Guardiola is partial to at Manchester City.

With sleeves rolled up and hands in his pockets, Ramsey had the same air of calm confidence he has carried throughout his playing career.

But he showed his more animated side too, loudly encouraging his players and geeing up the crowd.

Ramsey was delighted with what he saw from his players, who controlled the game and deservedly led through Yousef Salech’s second-half header, only for Oxford to equalise with their only shot on target – an unstoppable long-range strike by Cameron Brannagan.

A draw was not enough. With results elsewhere going against Cardiff, they are now second from bottom of the table and three points adrift of safety with only two games left.

If Ramsey was to pull them out of the fire from here, his legendary status would be cemented.

Even if Cardiff are relegated – as many fans seem to have accepted as inevitable – nobody will blame Ramsey. He inherited an unenviable situation and has precious little time to turn it around, encouraging as the early signs might be.

Once his caretaker tenure is done, the 86-cap Wales midfielder wants to continue playing and, with his Bluebirds contract expiring this summer, his long-term future remains unclear.

British cyclist Tom Pidcock has been named Action Sportsperson of the Year at the Laureus World Sports Awards.

The 25-year-old defended his Olympic mountain bike title in dramatic fashion at the 2024 Paris Games.

Pidcock suffered a puncture and had to change wheels before fighting back to win gold.

He is the fourth British cyclist to win the award after Jamie Bestwick (2014), Rachel Atherton (2017) and Beth Shriever (2022).

Meanwhile, American gymnast Simone Biles was crowned Sportswoman of the Year for a record-equalling fourth time.

After taking a break from the sport, Biles returned to win three golds and a silver at last summer’s Olympics.

Swedish pole vaulter Mondo Duplantis was named Sportsman of the Year after he broke his own world record to win Olympic gold in Paris.

Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal, 17, won the Breakthrough Award after starring for Spain as they won Euro 2024.

Jude Bellingham won the award last year and the England midfielder was part of the Real Madrid side named Team of the Year.

The Spanish giants won the La Liga title as well as a record-extending 15th European Cup.

There was more Spanish success as tennis legend Rafael Nadal won the Sporting Icon award after he retired from the sport in 2024.

“A Sporting Icon? I think that is for other people to decide,” the 22-time Grand Slam winner said.

Sportsman of the Year Award: Mondo Duplantis

Sportswoman of the Year Award: Simone Biles

Team of the Year Award: Real Madrid

Breakthrough of the Year Award: Lamine Yamal

Comeback of the Year Award: Rebeca Andrade

Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability Award: Jiang Yuyan

Action Sportsperson of the Year Award: Tom Pidcock

Sport for Good Award: Kick4Life

Sporting Icon Award: Rafael Nadal

Manchester United eye Diogo Costa, Arsenal open talks with Viktor Gyokeres and Aston Villa consider selling Ollie Watkins.

Manchester United have sent scouts to watch Porto and Portugal goalkeeper Diogo Costa, 25, as they look for a replacement for Cameroon international Andre Onana, 29. Manchester City are also interested in Costa, who has a release clause worth £64. 3m (75m euro). (Correio da Manha – in Portuguese)

Arsenal have opened talks to sign Sporting CP and Sweden striker Viktor Gyokeres, 26, early in the summer transfer window. (Football Insider)

Arsenal consider Athletic Bilbao and Spain winger Nico Williams, 22, a key target, but the player is undecided as to whether he wants to leave the club this summer. (GiveMeSport)

Manchester City’s Nico O’Reilly, 20, will sign a new contract with the club after Chelsea showed interest in the England under-20 midfielder. (Fabrizio Romano)

Manchester United have maintained contact with the agent of RB Leipzig and Slovenia striker Benjamin Sesko, 21, since he rejected a move to Old Trafford in 2022. (Manchester Evening News)

Tottenham Hotspur are weighing up a £30m summer offer for Chelsea and Portugal midfielder Renato Veiga, 21. (Football Insider)

Manchester United are expecting to receive several loan offers from Championship clubs for England Under-18s full-back Harry Amass, 18, this summer. (GiveMeSport)

Aston Villa are exploring the possibility of selling England striker Ollie Watkins, 29, for £50-60m and sign loanee Marcus Rashford, 27, from Manchester United on a permanent basis. (Football Insider)