On Sunday, two relegation-threatened teams meet at Elland Road, separated by only one place and one point in the Premier League table.
Team Form
Leeds United
Leeds United has been putting up an impressive show in the past few games, having lost only once in their last four Premier League games. With their current position at 13th place, they are among the strongest teams in the nine-team relegation dogfight. However, they have just a two-point lead over Bournemouth, who are in the 18th spot.
Leeds United has proven to be a tough nut to crack, with only Arsenal, Manchester United, Manchester City, and Fulham managing to beat them on their home turf this season.
Their recent form has been particularly impressive, having scored nine goals in their last four Premier League matches.
Leeds United PL Form: L D W L W
Crystal Palace
The game marked the return of Roy Hodgson and the departure of Brendan Rodgers, with Palace appearing to regret their missed opportunities against a resilient Leicester side.
The Foxes survived a relentless first-half onslaught from the Eagles to take the lead through Ricardo Pereira. However, Palace did not give up, and their persistence was rewarded with a hard-fought victory, their first three points of the year.
The Eagles conjured up an impressive 31 shots throughout the game, and Hodgson’s men finally snapped their 13-game winless run in all competitions.
This crucial win keeps Palace in 12th position in the Premier League table, just one point ahead of their upcoming opponents. Hodgson will be delighted with his side’s determination to fight back and secure a much-needed win against a tough opponent.
Crystal Palace PL Form: L L L L W
Squad Report
Leeds United
Leeds United fans were delighted to see Wilfried Gnonto make the bench for their recent win over Forest. The talented youngster had been sidelined with an ankle injury, and his return to the squad was a welcome sight for the fans.
However, Leeds United still has several players in the treatment room. Max Wober, Stuart Dallas, Adam Forshaw, and Tyler Adams are all nursing injuries and remain unavailable for selection.
Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace’s victory over Leicester City came at a cost, as two players picked up injuries. Star player Wilfried Zaha was one of the casualties and will be unavailable for the next game.
Meanwhile, first-choice goalkeeper Vicente Guaita played the full 90 minutes with a calf problem and is also ruled out of the upcoming fixture.
The duo joins long-term absentees Nathan Ferguson and Chris Richards in the infirmary.
However, there is hope that Ferguson and Richards could return soon, with manager Roy Hodgson expressing optimism last week that they could return in time for the trip to Leeds.
Leeds United’s expected starting lineup:
Meslier; Kristensen, Koch, Struijk, Firpo; McKennie, Roca; Harrison, Aaronson, Sinisterra; Bamford
Crystal Palace’s expected starting lineup:
Johnstone; Ward, Andersen, Guehi, Mitchell; Schlupp, Doucoure, Eze; Olise, Mateta, Ayew
Head to Head
Over the years, Leeds United has enjoyed a relatively successful record against Crystal Palace.
Of the 67 matches played between the two teams, Leeds United has emerged victorious on 31 occasions, compared to Crystal Palace’s 19 wins.
Time, Date & Venue
Date: Sunday, April 09
Time: 02:00 pm, BST
Venue: Elland Road, Leeds
Prediction
With so much at stake, a closely-fought draw could be a likely outcome for this encounter, with both teams playing to their strengths and minimizing their weaknesses.
