Leeds United 4 Crystal Palace 1: Whites bombard Eagles as striker matches ex-star's feat — YEP 20/12/25

By Lee Sobot

Leeds United took on Premier League highflyers Crystal Palace under the Elland Road lights.

Leeds United produced a brilliant performance to bombard Premier League highflyers Crystal Palace who were given a torrid night at Elland Road en route to a 4-1 defeat against Daniel Farke’s Whites.

Leeds no 9 Dominic Calvert-Lewin went into the game having netted in United’s last four Premier League games and chasing a record set by Mark Viduka set back in 2003 as the last Whites player to net in five consecutive top-flight matches.

As part of a magnificent display, Calvert-Lewin netted not once but twice as his brace together with a clinical finish from Ethan Ampadu and brilliant late Anton Stach free-kick capped a night to remember for Daniel Farke’s Whites.

A disappointing Palace side survived a big call just after the half hour mark as VAR eventually checked for a possible penalty after Brenden Aaronson was brought down by Tyrick Mitchell just inside the box.

Mitchell looked to have taken Aaronson's leg as well as the ball but Palace survived, at least for the time being.

However, a Leeds side that had peppered the Palace goal with shots and headers from corners and Ethan Ampadu long throws took a deserved lead with 38 minutes on the clock.

Another excellent Ampadu long throw from the left was hurled into the box and a header from Palace's Chris Richards inadvertently played in Dominic Calvert-Lewin at close range.

Eagles keeper Dean Henderson managed to save his initial effort but Henderson could only parry the ball back out to Calvert-Lewin who reacted quickly to net from close range.

The Eagles were all at sea, Leeds dealing with a few crosses from them into the box and Lucas Perri producing an important save to keep out a low drive from Eddie Nketiah on the edge of the box from a Jean-Phillipe Mateta lay-off.

That, though, was as good as it got for the Eagles and a dominant Leeds doubled their advantage in the fourth minute of stoppage time through man of the moment Calvert-Lewin from another Ampadu long throw.

This time from the right touchline, Ampadu launched another one into the mixer and an excellent flicked header from Jaka Bijol towards the back post played in Calvert-Lewin who applied another clinical close range finish to make it six goals in his last five games.

A no doubt very unhappy Palace boss Oliver Glasner made a change during the break as Will Hughes was brought off and replaced by Jefferson Lerma.

Leeds survived an early Eagles corner but that was about it from the visitors who were soon back under pressure, a Stach drive from the edge of the area deflected behind for a corner from which Mateta made an important block near the line to keep out a Gudmundsson effort.

Moments later, an excellent low cross from Gudmundsson flew through the box before being scrambled clear.

A third Leeds goal looked way more likely than any kind of Palace response and it duly arrived from yet another set piece and unlikely scorer on the hour mark as Ampadu netted his first ever league goal for the Whites.

This time the goal arrived from a corner which Stach curled into the box. Palace cleared their lines but Brenden Aaronson played the ball back into the middle where another from Bijol this time played in Ampadu who showed reactions that a striker would be proud of to storm in and flick past Henderson from close range.

Amid wild scenes inside Elland Road, the goal survived a VAR check for offside and Leeds then pushed for a fourth, the very attacking Rodon seeing a firm shot deflected just behind for a corner.

From another corner, Palace survived a huge scramble as Henderson kept put Struijk’s header before Guehi blocked out Gudmundsson on the line.

At the other end, a rare Palace attempt from Nketiah was deflected behind by a rock solid Rodon.

With just over ten minutes remaining, warm applause greeted both Aaronson and Okafor who were taken off for Ao Tanaka and Willy Gnonto.

Gnonto immediately threated and set up Calvert-Lewin for a hat-trick chance but the striker couldn’t get a shot away despite brilliant footwork in a crowded box.

Another change followed as James Justin replaced Bogle and a standing ovation greeted Ampadu as he was replaced by Gruev before the biggest cheer of the lot was saved for Calvert-Lewin as he was swapped for Joel Piroe.

The Whites also looked set for a first clean sheet since the end of August but Perri brought down substitute Christantus Uche for a penalty which was taken by another sub in Justin Devenny who converted in sending Perri the wrong way.

There was then a mighty scare as Devenny was only denied a second by the frame of the goal as his header flicked back off the post as part of a late Palace rally in seven minutes of added time.

Leeds, though, typical of their display, ended the game on the attack and the Whites were awarded a 99th-minute penalty as substitute Borna Sosa’s trailing leg took down Gruev.

VAR again intervened and judged that contact was actually made outside of the box but Leeds produced a brilliant last laugh as Stach stepped up to take the free-kick and whipped a majestic effort into the top left corner.