Sunday 24th May, 4:00pm | London Stadium
What a way to end a season. Leeds United head to the London Stadium on Sunday not as scared survivors desperately hanging on, but as a side unbeaten in eight games, fresh off a club awards night on Tuesday, and with their manager in positive talks about the future. The pressure is firmly on the other lot this weekend and Farke knows it.
West Ham are in absolute bits. They sit 18th on 36 points, two behind Spurs, and their survival equation couldn't be more brutal. They need to win and they need Everton to beat Tottenham at White Hart Lane. A draw does nothing for them. Even if they win and Spurs draw, they're still down on goal difference, with Tottenham sitting 12 goals better off. Three consecutive defeats have dragged them to this point and the London Stadium crowd will be a mix of desperation and fury on Sunday. A fanbase rightly furious that their club is even in this position. Leeds couldn't have asked for a better stage to finish the season.
Farke was in good form at his press conference on Friday. "After a fantastic season, we want the best possible finish. We are hungry to extend our unbeaten run and finish as this group deserves." He was also keen to make clear that the players aren't thinking about prize money or what a higher finish means financially for the club. It's about pride. That matters. And he mentioned that even in training this week the lads were still going at it, still competing hard in every exercise. Eight games unbeaten doesn't happen by accident and it doesn't stop happening just because the season is nearly done.
The injury news is a bit grim though. Gruev is done for the season, Gudmundsson and Okafor are both still out, and Stach won't make this one after his ankle injury last week, although Farke was reassuring on that front saying he'd have been fine if the game was next week. The big fresh blow is Longstaff, who had hernia surgery on Wednesday and is obviously a non-starter. With Gruev already missing, losing Longstaff in midfield as well is far from ideal. Struijk and Bogle are both back in training which is good news, though Bogle is touch and go depending on how his body responds. Farke admitted it's "a bit tricky" but also said "we try to find solutions" and he's been doing exactly that all season long.
On paper Leeds should win this. West Ham have lost three on the bounce and look like a side already mentally halfway out the door. Their goal difference of -22 tells its own story. Leeds have beaten Brighton, drawn at Spurs and hammered Burnley recently. The bookies have West Ham as slight favourites given it's a home game with everything on the line, but form and momentum say otherwise. Final day atmosphere might give the Hammers a temporary lift but it's hard to see where their goals come from against a Leeds side that has been defensively solid for months.
The bigger picture is that this has been a genuinely brilliant season and Sunday is a chance to put a proper full stop on it. A win could move us as high as 12th and extends that unbeaten run. And yes, it could also send Tottenham Hotspur to the Championship, which would be a very welcome bonus. Farke is talking about long-term vision with the board, five-year plans, a "trustful atmosphere" with the club. He's going nowhere. The journey is just getting started. Let's go and finish this the right way.
