Leeds United made a sensational return to the Premier League, topping the 2019/20 Championship table by ten points ahead of second-placed West Bromwich Albion last week.
The Whites finished with a flourish, dispatching of Charlton Athletic 4-0, Derby County 3-1 and Barnsley 1-0 as they secured promotion and the title in style during the final few games of the campaign.
What lies ahead is top-flight football at Elland Road once again, and 19 tantalising away games for Marcelo Bielsa to impose his swaggering style of football on up and down the country.
Leeds United fans have voted with their thumbs and, unsurprisingly, in a recent Leeds Live poll , 63% of fans are most looking forward to a return to Old Trafford where Kalvin Phillips and co will pit themselves against Marcus Rashford, Paul Pogba and Bruno Fernandes.
Leeds’ rivalry with Manchester United dates back decades, and countless intense encounters have been played out over the years.
The most recent competitive meeting between the two clubs came in 2011 with Manchester United triumphing 3-0 over Leeds at Elland Road. A year earlier, a sole Jermaine Beckford goal gave Leeds a thrilling and historic victory at Old Trafford.
Leeds’ entire fanbase will be hoping for a similar result when fixtures are announced for next season.
The Whites will also be travelling to a handful of new grounds that they are yet to play at.
West Ham United’s London Stadium was built for the 2012 Olympics and adopted as the Hammers’ home ground ahead of the 2016/17 campaign.
Meanwhile, Tottenham Hotspur also boast a brand new stadium; the 62,303 capacity structure on the site of the old White Hart Lane.
This season, Spurs had the third-best home record in the division, behind only Liverpool and Manchester City. If Leeds are looking to claim points from Spurs, they may be more likely to come at Elland Road.
There will be a number of historic grounds Leeds will revisit too, some of which they have played at more recently than others. Anfield has hosted tremendous encounters between Leeds and Liverpool, particularly in the Premier League era.
Leeds’ last victory on the champions’ patch came back in 2001, a game in which future Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand scored.
Newcastle United’s St James’ Park saw Leeds scrape a last-gasp equaliser back in 2017 when the two clubs were back in the Championship. This year, it will be one of Leeds’ closest away days, and if spectators are allowed back into stadiums, the Whites will travel in number, decking out the top tier of the Leazes Stand, which has a birds’ eye view of the pitch below.
Another ground Leeds will be familiar with from their second tier days is Burnley’s Turf Moor.
It is yet another stadium a stone’s throw from Elland Road in comparison to some lengthier away trips, but Leeds are without a win in three consecutive games away to Burnley. They will be looking to put that right at a stadium which isn’t exactly the most welcoming to away supporters and their teams.
Further south, Brighton & Hove Albion are one of four clubs in the Premier League next season to have traversed League One, the Championship and the Premier League over the past decade, just like Leeds.
However, the Whites’ record against the Seagulls is a terrible one with just two wins in 13 outings over the last ten years – both of which came at Elland Road. Since their move to the Amex Stadium, Leeds are yet to leave with all three points.
It will be a long trip down to the south coast, but returning with a win would make the trip to the seaside all the sweeter.
