Leeds vs Crystal Palace LIVE: Latest score, goals and updates from Premier League fixture tonight
Follow all the action as Leeds United host Crystal Palace in the Premier League this evening.
Marcelo Bielsa’s side are sitting comfortably in the relative safety of mid-table after an encouraging start to their first season back in the top flight. A defeat last time out against Everton somewhat sucked the momentum from their sails, however, they are already 14 points clear of the relegation zone and boast recent victories over Newcastle and Leicester City, with Patrick Bamford continuing his impressive goalscoring form.
They come up against a Palace outfit in high spirits, though, after the Eagles secured back-to-back league victories for the first time since September. Eberechi Eze provided the winner in a hard-fought contest against Wolves on 30 January before Roy Hodgson’s side came from behind to defeat Newcastle last time out. Palace will take further confidence from their impressive 4-1 victory over Leeds when the pair last met in November. They will have to manage without Wilfried Zaha this time, though, after the club talisman suffered a hamstring injury. Follow all the action live below:
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KICK-OFF
The players take a knee, and we’re underway on a frosty night in Yorkshire.
The players are out at Elland Road. The visitors take a slightly convoluted route, eventually reaching the pitch after walking down a flight of stairs. Leeds emerge from the tunnel soon after.
ROY HODGSON SPEAKS TO SKY SPORTS
“We know what we want to see from them [Mateta and Ayew]. Mateta, as far as being a Palace player is concerned, is an unknown quantity. This is a great opportunity for him. [On beating Leeds at Selhurst Park] We had to work unbelievably hard that day and we tried to prepare the team the best we could. We’ve done the same on this occasion, but now we’re playing at Elland Road where Leeds feel at home.”
MARCELO BIELSA SPEAKS TO SKY SPORTS
“The players are the same, but no matches are the same. We do have to be aware of set pieces, they take them very well. We also have to look out for how their full-backs attack.”
HOW TO WATCH
LEEDS DEFENDER PASCAL STRUIJK SPEAKS TO SKY SPORTS
“If we can do so [finish in top 10] it’s a really big achievement but I think the main goal is to try and stay in the league. The results have been going up and down so it’s important to stay consistent and keep getting points. We start from zero, the game’s 90 minutes long, we just go out there and try and get the win.”
LAST MEETING
Palace were emphatic winners when they hosted Leeds at Selhurst Park in November, easing to a 4-1 victory thanks to goals from Scott Dan, Eberechi Eze and Jordan Ayew. That was a game which highlighted Leeds’ defensive vulnerabilities, and perhaps gave an indication of what we might see today. The visitors dominated possession but struggled to break down Palace, who were clinical on the counter attack. Roy Hodgson will hope for more of the same tonight.
HOME ADVANTAGE
xG COMPARISON
Leeds’ attacking prowess is evident from a glance at this season’s xG table. The Whites have a healthy total of 32.89, compared to Palace’s more modest 21.80.
Defensively, though, it’s a different story. Only West Brom (47.35) have a higher xGA than Leeds (39.50). Palace, too, are hardly watertight at the back, with an xGA of 33.43.
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