Leeds United recorded another huge result at home on Saturday as they faced Crystal Palace. Before the game, the Whites were on a three-game unbeaten run picking up some huge points against Chelsea and Liverpool.
Daniel Farke made just one change from the side that held Brentford to a draw last weekend. Dominic Calvert-Lewin opened the scoring in the first half, and the striker doubled the lead just before half time.
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Expected Goals | 2.67 |
| Big Chances | 4 |
| Shots | 20 |
Ethan Ampadu was the quickest to react from a set piece, putting Leeds 3-0 up. Palace pulled one back from the penalty spot, and Anton Stach sealed a huge 4-1 win from a fantastic free kick.
Glasner slams his Crystal Palace side for Leeds United defeat
After the defeat on Saturday night, Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner was not happy at all with how his team played on the night, especially from set plays. The Whites scored all four of their goals from set pieces; some direct and some from the follow up.
“Very disappointing today. Couldn’t defend set plays – honestly it’s embarrassing.” he said on Sky Sports.
“They played man-to-man and we lost every single duel. When you lose all the duels, it’s the basics, we didn’t show the basics.”
Glasner then further explained why it was ’embarrassing’ as his team conceded from set pieces. The Eagles seem to have conceded too many in recent weeks:
“It’s the fourth game in recent weeks losing from set-pieces. It looks like we’re not sharp enough and have to show a different set-up or mind set.
“If you defend like we did today you have no chance to get a point in the Premier League.”
Daniel Farke keeping Leeds alive in the fight for survival
A lot of credit has to go to Daniel Farke during this run of games. His tactical innovation saw the switch to the 3-5-2 shape which helped the team win against Chelsea. When Leeds found it difficult in the game against Liverpool, he switched back to the 4-2-3-1 and was able to rescue a draw.
The club have now picked up eight points from a possible 12, and with West Ham losing on Saturday, Leeds are widening the gap between themselves and the relegation zone. This puts them in a very strong position heading into the second half of the season.
