LEICESTER SECURED AUTOMATIC promotion back into the Premier League after Leeds lost to QPR.

Their return to top-flight football was sealed after second-place Leeds – who are four points behind them – were defeated 4-0 at Loftus Road on Friday night in major blow to their automatic promotion hopes.

Enzo Maresca’s Foxes achieved promotion at the first time of asking having been relegated from the Premier League last season following a third-from-bottom finish.

An impressive campaign sees them currently sitting top of the Sky Bet Championship table after so far accumulating 94 points from 44 games.

Their final two games begin with a trip to Preston on Monday, before they round off the season with a home finale against Blackburn on 4 May.

Defeat means Leeds sit only one point above third-place Ipswich, but the Tractor Boys have three more matches to play compared to Leeds’ one.

QPR secured their Championship survival in style in west London, with Ilias Chair, Lucas Andersen, Lyndon Dykes and Sam Field scoring the goals.