Leeds United's four stars earn praise from manager Daniel Farke for 'amazing' win over Crystal Palace
Leeds United manager Daniel Farke praised the way his players adapted their game to overpower Crystal Palace in probably their best all-round performance of the season.
The Londoners came to Elland Road having only conceded five away goals all season, but left 4-1 losers as they could not cope with the Whites' new found set piece brilliance.
Two of the goals came from long throws, one from a corner and the last one a beautifully taken free-kick by Anton Stach, but Leeds were full value for their victory as they also played some fine football in the second half right up to the final whistle.
It was their biggest margin win since coming back into the Premier and took the Whites six points clear of the bottom three going into the Christmas period.
“I was really desperate in the last minutes to have the first clean sheet since a while, but many compliments to the lads,” said manager Farke.
“Amazing win, we have played the so far best away team in this league, they had before in their eight away games 16 points.
“I would say well deserved to win the game in this manner. Of course, three points are so important for the goal difference, but also the manner was really good. A great night and a big win.”
Farke spoke of his tactical tweaks for the game and why he went with Brenden Aaronson instead of Ao Tanaka in midfield and what the thinking was with turning Joe Rodon into a surprise right-back at times.
He explained: "The problem is no-one really found the solution of how to open such a compact Crystal Palace side in their games against them.
“They are always so compact and they are so dangerous with their quick attacks and their quick transition moments. We played a back five against the ball, a four-man formation with the ball, I know I asked a lot from my players.
“Joe Rodon, against the ball, was a centre-back. With the ball, he was a full-back. At times, even higher, a bit like a winger.
“Jayden Bogle played more or less the whole time as a winger and quite often was a winger in the pocket, which he has never played before.
“It's so, so difficult to disrupt this compact Crystal Palace side. More credit goes to the players because to be able to do this during the game - Joe Rodon has probably never played full-back in his whole career. To execute it with this self-confidence and this belief and quality is outstanding.”
“We needed Brenden Aaronson. I said to him before the game 'listen, you're the only player in the Premier League who can cover 50km’.
“We needed this because you have to press like a winger, you have to be, once we're deeper, like a midfield player to close the centre. In possession, once we dominate it, you need to play like a number 10, unpredictable, more or less freedom in both pockets.
“He's probably the only player who's capable to do this because he runs around like a bee.”
Farke added: “Overall I am very, very happy with many, many aspects.
“Yes we were strong from set pieces but you have to win corners and throw-ins high up the pitch to score from them.
“It fits during this season and the position we are in. We are not in a position to dominate games in this league as a new promoted team.”
Leeds made a slower start than in some home games as it took them 16 minutes to get in their first effort.
Rodon, given licence to come out from the back to take up positions on the right wing, saw a shot deflected wide then headed wide from the resulting corner.
Palace's first shot followed when one-time Whites striker Eddie Nketiah's shot from the edge of box was saved low down by Lucas Perri.
More set pieces gave the visitors problems as Pascal Struijk sent a header just wide then got in a glancing header that was well off target.
United were denied a penalty after Aaronson was brought down in the box by Tyrick Mitchell. Replays showed the Palace defender had got a tough on the ball initially before then bringing the home player down and VAR decided not to ask referee Thomas Bramall to chance his decision.
Seconds later Jean-Philiipe Mateta sent a shot over from the edge of the box in what would have been a contentious goal had it gone in.
But home fans did not have long to wait before they were celebrating a goal as Ethan Ampadu's long throw was flicked on by defender Chris Richards and Dominic Calvert-Lewin was onto it in a flash.
His half volley was kept out by England keeper Dean Henderson, but he was alert enough to net from close range from the rebound to make it five games in succession that he had scored.
It was almost two soon after when Struijk's shot hit a defender and flow inches wide. From the corner Jaka Bijol headed wide.
A second goal did come in added time from another Ampadu long throw as Bijol flicked on and Calvert-Lewin reacted well to head home his seventh goal of the season – and a sixth in the last five matches.
The second half saw the confidence really flow into the Whites' play as Stach and Gabriel Gudmundsson went close and they made it 3-0 with a real rarity - an Ethan Ampadu goal.
In his previous 100 games for Leeds the skipper had only scored twice and never in the league nor at Elland Road. But he reacted like a striker as he got on the end of a flick on by Bijol and netted from close range after an initial corner had not been cleared.
The Whites were pouring forward now with Rodon seeing a shot deflected wide then another corner leading to a scramble after Struijk's header was well saved by Henderson and Gudmundsson's follow-up was blocked on the line.
Nketiah and Adam Wharton got shots in for Palace as they looked to hit back, but Stach threatened for the hosts with a volley from yet another long throw.
The visitors did deny United the clean sheet they were looking for when Christantus Uche was brought down by keeper Perri and Justin Devenny netted from the resulting penalty.
They then came close to another which would have made for a tense finish when Devenny sneaked in to hit the post with a header.
But Leeds had the last word as Ilia Gruev was brought down by Borna Sosa. Referee Bramall pointed to the spot after having a long think, but then changed his decision after VAR prompting, saying the challenge had been outside the box.
Initial contact was, but he also fouled the Leeds player inside the area so it was another 50-50 decision that went against the home team. It did not matter as Stach promptly stepped up to score with a well taken free-kick. And so ended a great night for Leeds that gives them real hope they can avoid the drop.
(Calvert-Lewin 38, 45+4, Ampadu 60, Stach 90+11)
Crystal Palace 1
(Devenny 90+2, pen)
Saturday, December 20, 2025
Premier League
Attendance: 36,334
Leeds: Perri; Rodon, Bijol, Struijk; Bogle (Justin 80), Ampadu (Gruev 87), Stach, Aaronson (Tanaka 76), Gudmundsson; Okafor (Gnonto 76), Calvert-Lewin (Piroe 87).
Palace: Henderson; Richards, Lacriox, Guehi; Clyne (Sosa 65), Wharton, Hughes (Lerma 45), Pino (Drakes-Thomas 86), Mitchell; Mateta (Uche 77), Nketiah (Devenny 77).
Referee: Thomas Bramall