Southampton got their Championship promotion push back on track on Friday night.
A 2-0 victory away to West Brom at The Hawthorns saw the Saints bounce back in perfect style, after their 3-1 defeat at Bristol City on Tuesday.
That means it is just one defeat in the last 27 games in all competitions for Russell Martin’s side.
As a result, Southampton have moved back into second place in the Championship table, two points ahead of Leeds United, who travel to Plymouth Argyle on Saturday afternoon.
Now it seems as though at least pundit believes that those two sides are on a collision course for the final day of the season.
Robert Earnshaw hints at early ‘play-off final’ for Southampton
Of course, the Saints will desperate to avoid the lottery of the play-offs in the battle for promotion come the end of the season.
However, Southampton are due to travel to Elland Road to face Leeds United on the final day of the regular season.
With so little to split the two sides, Robert Earnshaw now expects that final day clash in Yorkshire to have as much significance, as a play-off final itself.
Speaking about that clash on the final day of the regular season on Sky Sports, the former Wales international said:
“That could be a play-off final in itself. Huge, so big, and I would actually love it, to be honest!
“I would love it if it goes down to there, because what an, almost final, that would be. But it’s so competitive and good on them, because there’s teams there, and it’s going to go down to the last day to see just who’s in the play-offs.”
Before that, Southampton are next in action when they host Hull City at St Mary’s on Tuesday night, in what is effectively their game in hand on Leeds United.
Final day could be winner takes all for Saints
It would certainly be no huge surprise if that meeting between Southampton and Leeds United on the final day does effectively become a play-off final.
With the exception of Leicester City, it does look as though these two sides are a cut above the rest of the teams in the Championship right now.
As a result, it feels hard to see either of them dropping points between now and the end of the season, other than when they do play the Foxes.
That could mean that by the time they come together at Elland Road at the end of the season, there will still be very little, if anything, to seperate Southampton and Leeds United.
Consequently, it could very much be a case that the only advantage one has over the other in the final standings, is the result they pick up in that match.
The match in Yorkshire therefore feels as though it will be a mouthwatering encounter. However, Southampton must continue to win between now and then, to make sure they still have something to play for in terms of automtatic promotion going into that game, at the very least.