It took a dramatic injury-time winner from Manor Solomon to secure the Championship title for Leeds United. Despite reaching the magical 100-point mark, they edged Burnley to top spot on goal difference alone.

Since the Championship was rebranded in 2004, only six teams have surpassed the 100-point threshold. Never before, however, has more than one team done it in the same season—until now. Leeds and Burnley both hit the century, with Leeds narrowly claiming the title.

The Centurions Club

• Reading (2005/06) – 106 points (record)
• Newcastle (2009/10) – 102 points
• Leicester (2013/14) – 102 points
• Burnley (2022/23) – 101 points
• Leeds & Burnley (2024/25) – 100 points

Of these six, only Burnley have been relegated in the season immediately following their 100-point campaign. This raises the question: Is it getting harder for promoted clubs to bridge the Premier League financial gap, or was Burnley’s 2022/23 failure a product of a weak Championship?

Can Leeds and Burnley Break the Cycle?

Although all three promoted clubs staying up is still statistically more common than all three going down, we’ve now seen back-to-back seasons where all three have been relegated. This could suggest a deeper structural shift in the financial and competitive balance between the top two tiers.

Still, dominant Championship teams tend to hold their own in the Premier League. Of the four previous “centurion” teams mentioned, three survived their first season back. You could also include Wolves (2017/18) and Fulham (2021/22) — both of whom dominated in the Championship and comfortably stayed in the PL.

The xG Case for Leeds

Expected Goals (xG) data strongly supports Leeds’ credentials. By Expected Goal Difference (xGD), Leeds were far ahead of the rest of the league:

• Leeds xGD: +59.5
• Burnley xGD: +18.4
• Plymouth xGD: –43.2 (worst in division)

In fact, Leeds’ xGD is the highest of any automatically promoted team since the stat has been available (2018–19). The only other team to come close was Fulham 2021/22 with +51.8 — a team that went on to thrive in the Premier League.

Burnley, by contrast, have achieved promotion with the lowest xGD of any automatic promotion side in the last six seasons. Their pragmatic, defensive style under Scott Parker has been effective, but the underlying numbers suggest Leeds are far more likely to succeed at the next level.

Leeds: Best Ever Championship Team by the Numbers?

Statistically, you could make a case for this Leeds side being the most dominant team ever promoted to the Premier League. That’s a bold claim when you consider the legendary Reading 106-point side, Newcastle and Leicester’s dominant squads, or Bielsa’s 2019–20 Leeds team.

Whether they’re the best or not is up for debate, but based on the eye test and the analytics, Leeds look well-equipped to handle the step up—and I’d be willing to put money on them staying up next season.

What do you think, are Leeds the best ever team to win the Championship?

(All xG stats used are from the excellent fbref.com)