Crystal Palace knew they were in for a tough game against Leeds United this past weekend. The home side had the advantage, playing at Elland Road where they had already recorded huge victories this season.
Palace were also fatigued after playing in the Conference League on Thursday; Oliver Glasner tried to combat this with rotating over 10 players to have his first choice options available for the weekend. Dominic Calvert-Lewin gave the Whites the lead as he tucked home the rebound from his initial effort after being unmarked from a corner.
The striker then doubled the team’s lead, heading home from a Jaka Bijol flick on. In the second half, Ethan Ampadu was the fastest to react to the second ball from a set piece; scoring his first Premier League goal for Leeds. Anton Stach put the icing on the cake curling in a free kick late in the match to seal a 4-1 win. The result now puts Daniel Farke’s side six points away from the relegation zone.
Crystal Palace boss ‘threatens’ to quit after Leeds United question
After the defeat to Leeds United, Oliver Glasner was furious, especially with how his side defended during set pieces. All four of the goals the Whites scored came from set piece situations. The defeat was the Eagles’ second in their last three games, and the tensions around the club continue to increase.
Glasner was answering questions about facing Arsenal midweek, when a reporter asked a question. The Eagles boss was asked if their current fixture schedule meant that they expected to lose on Saturday. This brought a stern answer from the 51-year old who rejected the notion of intentionally dropping points:
“No, I don’t think so,” Glasner said, quoted by The Guardian.
“If somebody tells me that we lose on purpose, the next day I’m not the manager any more.”
READ MORE: What Leeds star was seen doing in the dugout ‘exposes’ what is going on at Elland Road
The Whites dominated at Elland Road
Many will attribute the result to Palace needing rest before the game, but what happened on the matchday was undeniable. Leeds had their plan and stuck to it; they perfectly executed from set pieces where they exploited the marking scheme.
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Goals | 4 |
| Big Chances | 4 |
| Expected Goals | 2.67 |
| Shots | 20 |
| Possession | 53% |
Any way you look at it, Daniel Farke got his tactics right and Oliver Glasner had no response. So to suggest that Palace expected to lose was false, they were just well beaten by a much better side.
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