Joel Piroe could set an unlikely Championship record this weekend, it’s never been done before

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Leeds United have the opportunity to lift the Championship title on Saturday afternoon if they are able to beat Plymouth Argyle, with Burnley’s goal difference significantly fewer than theirs.

The Whites’ return to the Premier League was confirmed on Easter Monday, as the Clarets beat Sheffield United 2-1 at Turf Moor to send both Daniel Farke and Scott Parker’s teams back to the top flight.

Position	Team	Played MP	Won W	Drawn D	Lost L	For GF	Against GA	Diff GD	Points Pts
1	LeedsLeeds	45	28	13	4	93	29	64	97
2	BurnleyBurnley	45	27	16	2	66	15	51	97
3	Sheff UtdSheffield Utd	45	28	7	10	62	35	27	89
4	SunderlandSunderland	45	21	13	11	58	43	15	76
5	Bristol CityBristol City	45	17	16	12	57	53	4	67
6	CoventryCoventry	45	19	9	17	62	58	4	66

There will be plenty of support for the West Yorkshire outfit in Devon this weekend as well, and supporters will be prepared to see their players finish the job and make their way to a century of points, with Leeds’ Ilia Gruev preparing for the Premier League already.

Nevertheless, lifting the title will not be the only thing on the mind of Joel Piroe on Saturday, as he looks to win the Championship Golden Boot for the first time in his career and leave the division at the top of his game.

However, the Leeds man may just be able to do it by setting a record that few would like to have.

Joel Piroe could land the Championship Golden Boot with less than 20 goals

Piroe currently leads the way in the race for the Golden Boot, having overtaken Borja Sainz when he scored four goals against Stoke City in his side’s 6-0 win nearly two weeks ago.

Sammie Szmodics finished the 2023/24 campaign with the most goals in the Championship, firing in 27 times for Blackburn Rovers before switching Ewood Park for Portman Road as he joined Ipswich Town in the Premier League last summer.

However, Piroe, who is currently on 19 goals, could be the first player since the league was rebranded in 2004 to finish as the top scorer with less than 20 goals.

The Championship Golden Boot winner has scored 25 times or more in nine of the last 10 seasons, with Matej Vydra’s (21) win in 2017/18 for Derby County the last time that it was done without reaching a quarter of a century.

Joel Piroe’s goalscoring form has not been promising in recent weeks

Despite being at the very top of the table for goals scored in 2024/25, Piroe’s goals against Stoke were his first since February 24, when he found the back of the net in Leeds’ 3-1 win over Sheffield United at Bramall Lane.

It’s been a poor season for strikers in terms of consistency, and this has been reflected in the battle for the Golden Boot and if the Dutch attacker does fail to find the back of the net, it would be a surprise to see another player overtake him.

It can be said that if Josh Sargent did not miss the majority of the winter due to injury, he would have surpassed Piroe’s current goal record. However, it is the Leeds player’s to lose and he could just write his name into the history books.

Nonetheless, his full focus will be on ensuring that his team take the title on Saturday, and any goals scored will purely come as a bonus.