Leeds United are enjoying a welcome upturn in form, going unbeaten in their last three Premier League outings and collecting five valuable points. That run has been crucial in keeping them above the relegation places as the pressure intensifies at the bottom end of the table.
There are growing signs that Daniel Farke’s side have turned a corner in recent weeks. A statement victory over Chelsea was followed by a battling home draw against Liverpool, before Leeds showed further resolve to return from Brentford with a hard-earned point.
Those results leave the Whites sitting 17th in the standings, three points clear of the drop zone. More importantly, they are once again showing the resilience and organisation that characterised their stronger spells earlier in the season.
A demanding run of fixtures still lies ahead, and there is little margin for error. However, a big announcement from the Premier League will worry Leeds.
Leeds United will not be happy with the referee appointed for the Crystal Palace clash
Sheffield-born Thomas Bramall has been appointed the referee for Leeds’ home game against Crystal Palace at Elland Road on Saturday evening.
He was in charge of Leeds’ 2-1 defeat against Tottenham at Elland Road earlier in the season, and the Whites felt that he got some big decisions wrong.
Leeds felt that they deserved a penalty after Pascal Struijk was dragged down. However, Bramall chose to ignore it, and VAR never intervened.
Daniel Farke conceded after the game that he had issues with the Sheffield-born referee previously and indicated that he was not happy with the official’s performance.
“I have to be careful and do not like to comment [on officials]”, Farke said after the Tottenham game.
“Last time we had this referee, it was a big talking point, and I got a letter. Leave it to other people to comment. I cannot influence this.”
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Bramall was in charge of a big game for Leeds last season
Bramall has been in charge of three games for Leeds, and he has had a mixed record in games involving the Whites in his career.
| Season | Competition | Date | Result | Yellow Cards | Red Cards |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025/26 | Premier League | October 4, 2025 | Leeds United 1–2 Tottenham | 2 | 0 |
| 2024/25 | Championship | April 5, 2025 | Coventry City 1–1 Leeds United | 2 | 0 |
| 2022/23 | FA Cup | January 18, 2023 | Leeds United 5–2 Cardiff City | 1 | 0 |
He oversaw a 5-2 FA Cup win for Leeds against Cardiff City in January 2023. However, he was also the referee for Leeds’ 1-1 draw against Luton in April this year.
Leeds managed to walk away with a point via a late Daniel James goal, and it was another game that the Whites felt that Bramall didn’t give them the decisions.
The Tottenham game attracted criticism from Farke, who felt that Leeds were the better team and didn’t deserve to lose 2-1 at home.
Palace are reeling due to injuries and are involved in several competitions. Leeds have a golden chance to win on Saturday and pick up three crucial points.
Farke would not want the referee to be the headline at the end of the game.
