Slowly and on swaying legs, Leeds took another small step. There was no boom in the way they did it, no consequences, but they get there.
Their score now stands at 34 points in 33 games played, with a few harder to win than that. It was one of those jokes, a filthy exploration of the soul, when their best player, by a street, was standing in their own doorway.
Without Ilan Meslier, Wilfried Zaha would have scored a pair. Maybe more. Connor Gallagher may have had one. Then there is Jean-Philippe Mateta. He didn’t make any great saves, but there were some very good chances – his was a cow’s back and something like a banjo.
Leeds managed to keep Wilfried Zaha and Co. at a distance of zero draw at Crystal Palace
MATCH FACTS
Crystal Palace (4-2-3-1): Guita 6.5; Clyne 6.5, Andersen 7, Guehi 6.5, Ward 6.5; MacArthur 6, Gallagher 7.5; Eze 6.5 (Schlupp 79), Ayew 6.5 (Olise 67, 6), Zaha 7; Mateta 5.5 (Benteke 84).
Unused submarines: Butland, Kelly, Tomkins, Kuyate, Hughes, Edward.
With reservation: Andersen, Ward
Manager: Patrick Vieira 6.5
Leeds (4-2-3-1): Meslie 8; Isling 7, Lorente 7.5, Cooper 6.5, Dallas 5.5; Klich 5.5 (Koch 46, 6), Phillips 5.5; Rafinha 6, Rodrigo 6 (Gelhard 74, 6), Harrison 6; James 5 (Greenwood 59, 6).
Unused substitutes: Klaesson, Struijk, Firpo, Cresswell, Bate, Kenneh.
Reserved: James, Lorente
Manager: Jesse Marsh 6
Judge: Darren England 5
So this is a game that Leeds endured, and they left with something to celebrate that brings us back to their points. It won’t take 40 to stay up this year, but the current standard of 35 also feels light, which means there should still be some concern about their upcoming match against Manchester City, Arsenal and Chelsea. There won’t be much room for easy breathing before they reach their final tasks with Brighton and Brentford, but 34 points are on the doorstep, close to where they need to be.
If they succeed, good for Jesse Marsh. They have lost these and most other games with Marcelo Bielsa, so the progress really needs to be explained in only one context – for their last five games they have 11 points. This saves the season, even if the second half of this match was an exercise in how best to master the slap.
“The result is great,” Marsh said. “The performance was not our best, but five undefeated, two consecutive clean nets, we have to take positive ones. The band’s mentality really helped us win the point.
“It’s a really big point. This brings us closer and closer to our ultimate goal.
For Crystal Palace and Patrick Vieira, the annoyance came from extending their winless streak to four games in all competitions. That’s the way it happened.
“I can be disappointed and the team can be disappointed,” he said. “We played really good football at a high pace and we were the better team, but we couldn’t find the net.
Wasted opportunity
It was a war of attrition between the two teams, with several tough fights
“I was pleased and happy with the determination we showed. We just lacked that quality to score those goals. ‘
With 38 points, Palace is effectively in a clear position, but it would be a pity for such a strong season to fail so late in the day, not that there was evidence of declining motivation against Leeds. To a large extent, they pushed their guests, although Leeds’ prospects may improve in this regard, they now have Calvin Phillips back in the country.
It was December 5, when he last started a league game, and it’s entirely plausible to think that Leeds would have avoided an awful lot of worries – and probably a change of manager – if his thighs had been retained. Without him, the midfield, the game system, and an era have strayed, but based on that performance, it will take time for him to pick up speed, even if it was encouraging that he survived the entire game.
On this occasion, he was completely overtaken by his opponent Gallagher, who is also competing for the same place in England.
Zaha insisted on a goal until the very end, but could not find a way past Ilan Meslier
Stopper Meslie made several key saves to ensure that his country kept an important clean net
The Chelsea hire was at the heart of everything good for Palace in the first half, which they controlled without excelling at all. Their focus came when Gallagher dropped the ball over Stuart Dallas, which eventually led to an opportunity for an open goal for Mateta. The striker mixed his relationship with an awkwardly bouncing ball, just as he did when he passed cleanly in three minutes.
Leeds offered little in return, demonstrated by their difficulty in releasing Jack Harrison, who arrived with a hot run of goals in three consecutive games. Oddly enough, Harrison made his professional debut for Vieira as a 19-year-old for New York in 2016, and they lost 7-0 that day to the New York Red Bulls on the March – funny how life turns out sometimes.
Of course, it was all a little drier, beyond the wave of fleshy challenges towards the end of a rather fragile half, aimed mostly at Zaha.
The second began in a similarly aggressive mood, with Joel Ward and Daniel James receiving a reservation for a quarrel before Palace began to dominate. Zaha had the best chance, forcing three saves, and Mateta had his third of the evening, which, like the other two, completely missed the mark. Gallagher’s half-volley and another drive from Zaha also veered off course as Leeds somehow limped closer to where they should be.
Patrick Vieira’s team insisted on a winner, but had to settle for a point in the end at home
Leeds are already five points away from their last three games
Relive the drama of the collision with the coverage of SAM BROOKES …
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