“I respect Leeds, I think in the last 12 games, they have won 11 and drawn one, They deserve to be where they are now with us”- Enzo Maresca heaps praise on Leeds as he comments for first time since Leicester were knocked off top spot by Whites

For the first time this season, Leeds United head into a Championship game week in top spot.

Leicester City have been leading the way for much of the season but a slight blip in form allowed Leeds to take advantage with a 2-0 win over Millwall ahead of the international break.

The Foxes do, of course, have a game in hand over the Whites having been in FA Cup action at Chelsea on the same day they relinquished first place, and head to Bristol City tomorrow in the first game back.

Leicester’s incredible tally of 82 points from 37 matches would have had them comfortably clear at the top in years gone by, but it is a standard of promotion race that has never been seen before in the Championship.

All of the top four are in action tomorrow at different times, with Leicester kicking off the day at lunchtime, Southampton hosting Middlesbrough at 3pm, Ipswich Town away at Blackburn Rovers in the evening, before Leeds conclude the day’s action at Watford.

Leeds could actually find themselves in third place by the time they kick-off, and it certainly would not be a surprise if they were to do so given the standard at the top.

Maresca was speaking in his press conference earlier this afternoon ahead of his side’s trip to Bristol City, with their loss of first place one of the questions which he was asked.

The Leicester boss insisted nothing has changed as far as his side are concerned, and in fact offered praise to Leeds for their ‘fantastic’ run of form in 2024.

He said: “No. Before we were playing to win games and we continue that. We have one game in hand. At the moment, the goal difference is for Leeds. Because of the amount of games in a short period, you don’t have time to see the table. You just have to win games.

“It’s 25 years I’ve been involved in football. The mentality is not to win the league with 10 or 15 points more than second. I respect Leeds, I respect Southampton, I respect Ipswich. I know that until the end, they are going to be there with us.

“That’s why I said it was not the reality. What they (the players) have done is something incredible. Winning 19 of 23 in the first half is something not normal. Also Leeds, I think in the last 12 games, they have won 11 and drawn one. Fantastic. They deserve to be where they are now, with us.”

The Easter weekend is always a crucial period in the footballing calendar and that is certainly the case in the promotion race given some of the fixtures that are being played.

All four sides face matches both on Friday and Monday, so with six points to play for in such a short space of time, the table could have a completely different look to it next week.

Tomorrow, the four sides all face matches where they will be considered the favourites, however, on Easter Monday, six of the top seven are in action against one another.

Ipswich vs Southampton very much looks like the tasty game, but Leicester and Leeds both face games that are equally as difficult in play-off chasing Norwich and Hull City. A big weekend awaits.