Leeds United drew 0-0 against Crystal Palace on Monday night, to move one point closer to Premier League survival.
The draw lifts Jesse Marsch’s side five points clear of the relegation zone, although 17th-placed Everton have a game in hand over them. The better team on the night, Palace, were not decisive enough in the final third, extending their winless record in all competitions to four games.
In the first five minutes, the hosts went direct to good effect, and one of these long balls – delivered by Nathaniel Clyne – was nearly converted by Jean-Philippe Mateta. The Palace centre-forward, however, did not get enough on his finish after sprinting through.
Mateta was given an even better opportunity not long after. Conor Gallagher’s direct pass behind Leeds’ defence produced the opportunity once more, allowing Jordan Ayew to lay one on the line for his teammate to redirect wide.
Leeds did not trouble Vicente Guaita until just before the half-hour mark, when Liam Cooper tamely headed into the goalkeeper’s arms from a corner.
Apart than that, the Whites produced little before the break, with Palace on the ascendancy towards the conclusion of the first half but being held back by some tenacious defence. The two sets of players then descended the tunnel in a tense mood, thanks to a contentious decision by referee Darren England.
This set the tone for a tense start to the second half, with Daniel James and Joel Ward both being sent off within five minutes of the restart.
Palace created a couple of great opportunities, but the final ball fell short. In the second half, it was Leeds who earned the first expression of anticipated goal reaction from the crowd, with Stuart Dallas charging up and rolling a shot just wide of the post.
Mateta was provided with his third excellent chance of the game shortly after the hour mark. With his back to the goal, he met Zaha’s low cross with a thunderous drive that went over the bar.
As the half progressed, Leeds were hammered with a run of frightening attacks, which fired Palace back into life. Temporary left-back Ward became an improbable hero when his bending effort forced Meslier to scramble across his goal, only for the ball to wobble past the post.
Gallagher came even closer a few minutes later, hitting the ball sumptuously from waist height and just over the bar. As Patrick Vieira’s team slid to a painful stalemate, Zaha and Gallagher both spurned more chances, with the former seeing a stoppage-time attempt loop agonisingly out for a goal kick following a deflection.
The result sees Leeds stay in 16th place, five points clear of Everton in the relegation zone. They are unbeaten in five games as they prepare for a challenging run of games that begins on Saturday against Manchester City.
Palace end their losing streak, although they remain in 14th place. Their next destination is Southampton.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
