Daniel Farke and Leeds United will feel reasonably pleased to leave Selhurst Park with a point after playing out a 0–0 draw against Crystal Palace.
Leeds had a huge opportunity to go ahead in the first half when they were awarded a penalty in the Palace box, but Dominic Calvert-Lewin dragged his effort wide, missing the chance to net his 11th Premier League goal of the season.
The situation worsened just before the interval when Gabriel Gudmundsson was shown a second yellow card and sent off. Even so, Leeds dug in with ten men during the second half and managed to hold on for a valuable point.
However, Farke was livid when the Swede was sent off, and his anger didn’t relent after the final whistle was blown when he had a conversation with the referee.
Daniel Farke has not minced his words
The Leeds United manager and his players have been at the end of some poor refereeing decisions in recent weeks, which has affected their results.
Gudmundsson’s sending off was controversial, as there is little to suggest that he deserved a second yellow, and even Chris Sutton feels it was too harsh.
Farke hasn’t minced his words and insisted that everyone at Selhurst Park knew that it was not a second yellow card and a sending off for Gudmundsson.
He stressed that he doesn’t believe that the defender had even committed a foul and feels the referee made a huge mistake.
Daniel Farke said on the BBC’s Match of the Day: “Everyone in the stadium can see [it was the wrong decision].
“It was doubtful if it was even a foul. For me, it was a clear mistake.”
The Leeds manager is proud of the point
Farke will probably feel the missed penalty was a big moment, as it could easily have secured three valuable points away from home. Even so, coming away with a draw is still a positive outcome for Leeds.
Down to ten men, Leeds were put under plenty of pressure in the second half, and the Crystal Palace players were jeered by their own fans at the final whistle as they walked off the pitch.
He said, “I am just proud of how we defended.
“Even in the second half, there were moments where we thought we could win the game.”
With Nottingham Forest also dropping points, Leeds finish the gameweek still three points clear of 18th-placed West Ham.
If Leeds manage to avoid relegation this season, this could end up being remembered as a very important point during a crucial stage of the campaign for Farke and his side.
