Report: Palace & Leeds share points from battling draw

An incident-packed end to the first-half saw Dominic Calvert-Lewin miss a penalty for the visitors, not long before Gabriel Gudmundsson received a second yellow card.

But despite their numerical advantage, Palace were unable to break down a resolute Leeds defence – the closest they came being when Jefferson Lerma’s close-range header was ruled out for offside in the build-up – meaning the Eagles were forced to settle for the draw.

Summary:

• Three changes for Palace: Henderson ill so Benítez makes Premier League debut, with Hughes and Lerma coming into midfield.
• 6: Johnson’s early free-kick deflects over the bar.
• 15: Aaronson pulls wide for Leeds from an inviting position inside the box.
• 25: Calvert-Lewin’s header is claimed on the line by Benítez.
• 27: Richards’ first-time strike is blocked inside the Leeds penalty area.
• 39: Johnson makes an important tackle to deny Calvert-Lewin a clear strike.
• 45: Leeds are awarded a penalty for a handball, but Calvert-Lewin drags spot-kick wide.
• 45+7 – RED CARD: Gudmundsson is shown a second yellow card for Leeds after catching Sarr late.
• HT: Palace 0-0 Leeds
• 60: Glasner introduces two substitutes as Wharton and Mateta enter the fray.
• 63: Richards makes an important intervention at the near post to deny Calvert-Lewin.
• 66: Mateta tests Darlow with a deflected effort from Sarr’s low ball in.
• 70: Struijk’s header lands on his own crossbar, before Wharton’s half-volley is blocked.
• 79 – DISALLOWED GOAL: Lerma heads the ball home from close range, but Johnson is ruled offside by VAR.
• 89: Stach’s half-volley is well-claimed by Benítez.
• 90+1: Mateta swivels inside the box, but mis-hits his effort.
• FT: Palace 0-0 Leeds

Little under 72 hours since Palace’s last home match – the first leg of their UEFA Conference League Round of 16 tie with AEK Larnaca – the Eagles were back in Premier League action at Selhurst Park.

Their opponents were Leeds United, who had capitalised on a similar schedule to win the reverse fixture at Elland Road back in December – and Oliver Glasner responded by rotating Palace’s midfield, with Daichi Kamada and Adam Wharton making way for Jefferson Lerma and Will Hughes.

Walter Benítez, meanwhile, was named in goal, making his Premier League debut for Palace after Dean Henderson was ruled out through illness.

With Selhurst in fine voice as ever, Palace were braced for the fight, the first-half proving a physical – and in truth, largely scrappy – affair, dominated by set-pieces and long throws, but culminating in a remarkable series of events.

Chances before that were few and far between: Brennan Johnson, continuing at right wing-back, had the chance to shoot from a free-kick after Evann Guessand did well to nick the ball off a Leeds defence which was uneasy with the ball at its feet. The Palace No. 11’s effort took a nick off the wall, and whistled over the bar.

On 15 minutes, Leeds embarked on one of their frequent aerial sieges, and had what seemed set to be the chance of the half when a hooked ball in was inadvertently flicked on by Ismaïla Sarr, falling for Brenden Aaronson to shoot across goal from an inviting position. The Leeds winger’s effort was poor, and dragged wide of the goalmouth.

Palace had plenty of set-pieces and so too did Leeds – and the latter nearly opened the scoring on 25 minutes after Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who netted a brace against the Eagles earlier this season, had a downwards header from a corner which Benítez, taking a step back to steady himself, just about kept from crossing the line.

Seconds later, after Johnson’s cute piece of skill led to the winger being taken down by Gabriel Gudmundsson – the Leeds full-back yellow-carded – the free-kick came in and Chris Richards caught a half-volley cleanly. The ball was travelling – yet the effort was blocked.

Johnson was heavily involved at both ends of the pitch, and with Calvert-Lewin a menace, the Palace full-back made an important tackle on the Leeds man to deny him a clean shot at goal in a threatening position.

Then, on the stroke of half-time, an extraordinary passage of events.

Firstly, Leeds – from another corner – were awarded a penalty kick from nowhere. Hughes was ruled the offending party by Thomas Bramall, raising his arm amidst a crowd of bodies, all jostling and pushing.

Up stepped Calvert-Lewin from 12 yards – but despite sending Benítez the wrong way, the Leeds top scorer screwed a poor penalty wide of the bottom-left corner.

With only two minutes of added time signalled, play continued well into it and – just seconds after Jaka Bijol did well to avoid a second yellow card – Gudmundsson was awarded one for a mistimed lunge on Sarr.

The referee, initially not appearing to realise the Leeds No. 3 was already on a booking, took a moment – but then showed him red.

For the second Premier League home game in a row, Palace found themselves a man – and a penalty miss – to the good.

Heading into the second-half, the onus was thus on the Eagles to attack, but Leeds introduced defensive reinforcements from the bench and did everything they could to frustrate the hosts.

That saw Glasner make two changes himself on the hour mark, with Wharton and Jean-Philippe Mateta introduced to the fray.

Yet within moments of them coming on, it was only fine reading of the game from Richards which prevented Calvert-Lewin from meeting Anton Stach’s low ball in, after a cute reverse pass in the build-up by Joe Rodon.

Palace responded with their best period of the match. Mateta, making a dart to the near post, met Sarr’s teasing cross, only for Rodon to get a toe in and deflect the ball off the striker. It still popped up and forced Leeds ‘keeper Karl Darlow to tip it behind, but the visitors dealt with the corner.

The Eagles continued to push forwards, with Jaydee Canvot’s teasing cross nodded onto the roof of his own net by Pascal Struijk, and Wharton’s cleanly-hit half-volley blocked by a falling Leeds defender – no handball given on this occasion.

The closest Palace came was with 10 minutes left – a corner, again, the source of the danger.

Johnson played a short ball to Guessand and ran onto the return, clipping in a cross which allowed Lerma – towering high – to force a brilliant reaction save from Darlow. Lerma followed up, diving in to force the rebound home, only for the flag to go up against Johnson in the first instance, with VAR subsequently confirming the decision.

There was one final half-chance for both teams in injury-time: Stach’s well-hit half-volley testing Benítez’s handling, and Mateta mis-kicking from a last-minute low cross into the box.

But in the end, both teams were forced to settle for a battling point apiece.

Palace: Benitez (GK), Richards, Lacroix, Canvot (Pino, 80), Johnson (Kamada, 80), Lerma, Hughes (Wharton, 60), Mitchell, Sarr, Guessand, Strand Larsen (Mateta, 60).

Subs: Matthews (GK), Riad, Clyne, Sosa, Devenny.

Leeds: Darlow (GK), Rodon, Struijk, Bijol, Justin, Ampadu, Stach, Gudmundsson, Aaronson (Bogle, HT), Nmecha (Gruev, HT), Calvert-Lewin.

Subs: Perri (GK), Bornauw, Tanaka, James, Longstaff, Piroe, Gnonto.

As It Happened