Leeds United have a right to ask for justice as fight goes on — Graham Smyth's Crystal Palace Verdict — YEP 16/3/26

By Graham Smyth

The Verdict from Leeds United's encouraging goalless draw at Selhurst Park.

Leeds United have earned the right to remain masters of their own fate heading into the relegation run-in but they are long overdue some luck or even simply justice.

With survival just a couple of wins from Leeds' grasp and there to be had, Daniel Farke could hardly be accused of hesitancy against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park. The German started his first and second-choice centre forwards together for the first time since beating Chelsea at home. His midfielders were defensive enforcer Ethan Ampadu and offensive-minded pair Anton Stach and Brenden Aaronson. And back into the centre of defence came set-piece threat Jaka Bijol. The only selection decision that could be viewed through a more defensive lens was the dropping of Jayden Bogle, with James Justin taking his place at right wing-back, but the latter has more-than justified his involvement in 2026.

No matter how ugly the first half might have been, and it was lipstick on a pig at times, Leeds did enough to feel aggrieved not to be taking a lead into the break. No matter what followed in the second half, they ended the game more deserving of three points than their hosts. But through no fault of their own and yet another egregious piece of officiating, Leeds were forced to be content with a very creditable 0-0 draw and a single point.

For all the attacking intent in that line-up, it was an awkward start to the game for the visitors. The swirling wind made life difficult for Bijol and in a scramble to clear Pascal Struijk conceded a free-kick in a dangerous position. Brennan Johnson's effort clipped the wall and cleared the bar. The clumsiness continued, Ethan Ampadu was needlessly guilty of a wayward pass in the middle and efforts to attack down either flank saw the ball overran.

A lot of the pre-game talk centred around the problems Leeds were able to cause in the first game through set-pieces, but the Eagles won enough aerial battles in the early stages to nullify that threat. It took an errant backwards header to present Leeds' first chance, which Brenden Aaronson failed to take, pulling his shot across goal and wide from a great position.

But with Nmecha's physicality and willingness to try things starting to unnerve Palace and push them back, Leeds were able to build pressure. A long throw saw Nmecha go down under a challenge in the box, neither referee Thomas Bramall nor VAR saw it as a penalty however. The roving right-back role given to Joe Rodon in possession allowed him to get high up the pitch and deliver an excellent cross for Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who was unable to really test Walter Benitez in goal.

Leeds' idea was to bombard the box as often as humanly possible and even if Palace dealt with it well earlier on, there was always a chance the Whites' big men would get on the end of something. Anton Stach's corner midway through the half found the head of Calvert-Lewin and again he directed the header far too close to Benitez. Though it was a routine save, the keeper positioned his feet so far behind his line that he came closer than conceding than he could have realised.

Oliver Glasner's idea was no different, so when Palace had their spell it looked exactly the same at that end of the pitch - long throws and free-kicks bombed into the penalty area for Leeds to deal with. Where the visitors were able to create a semblance of danger, Palace were unable to force Karl Darlow into action.

Leeds United the victim of referee mistakes again

A half that had delivered little excitement and no real quality exploded to life in its final minutes but only Leeds were harmed. Stach sent in a perfect corner for Bijol to attack, only for Will Hughes to inexplicably stick his hand in the air and concede a penalty. Up stepped Calvert-Lewin to send Benitez the wrong way and miss the net entirely, the ball going the wrong side of the left upright.

The visitors should have been going into the break a goal to the good but instead only 10 men walked off the pitch. Bramall rightly concluded that on-a-yellow Bijol did not make sufficient contact with Ismaila Sarr to warrant a second caution and subsequent red. But then the official clearly forgot that he had earlier carded Gabriel Gudmundsson and produced the yellow again for the Swede's relatively innocuous foul on Sarr. It was hardly a yellow in its own right. It was never a second yellow. It took an age for Bramall to realise what he had done and what he had to do next, but the red did come out and Leeds were suddenly climbing a mountain.

Farke's team for the second half had to reflect a new reality. Off came Aaronson and Nmecha, on came Ilia Gruev and Bogle. And in the early stages Leeds competed well. Out of possession they fell back into a block and asked a question that the hosts initially struggled to answer. But when the chance arose to be on the ball, Leeds looked to get forward quickly. Free-kicks were sent into the Palace box like before, for the big men to attack. Rodon bombed forward to not only hold the ball up in the corner but squeeze it across the byline for Stach to sweep to the near post, Calvert-Lewin connecting only with Chris Richards.

With 20 minutes to go it was still goalless but Leeds were defending deep and having to defend the box with their lives, blocking shots and heading away crosses. When the back line was unable to keep Palace out, Darlow hurled himself across his goal to palm away a looping deflection off substitute Jean-Philippe Mateta. He was at it again, beating out a thumping Jefferson Lerma header from a short corner routine and though the Palace man nodded in the rebound the offside flag went up.

Leeds did everything necessary to reach the full-time whistle with their clean sheet intact. The away end greeted a brave, tenacious and important second half performance with the appropriate ovation. Gudmundsson took his time to shake hands and offer apologies to those who had travelled. That is much more than the Whites faithful, players, staff or manager will be afforded from those in charge of the officiating. Calvert-Lewin's penalty miss has to be taken into account and he is now overdue another Premier League goal. He owes his team-mates one. But with 11 men Leeds were better than Palace and they were denied their rightful chance to prove it definitively in the second half. Given all that has occurred in recent weeks, this club can feel like it is owed something from PGMOL - if only correct decisions in big moments. In boxing they say you should never leave it in the hands of the judges and the same notion applies in football - Leeds must take their chances if they are to stay up. But they're fighting, hard. And they're well in the fight.