20:10
8 min: Lovely skill by Ayew down the wing, but in his own half, is the first glimmer for Palace. They’ve begun very slowly. But an attack by Palace in which Van Aaaholt and Riedewald combine almost comes off. The final pass from Dutchman to Dutchman is not quite good enough.
20:08
6 min: Klich is down, and it looks painful. He slipped on that new Elland Road pitch. His hip looked to take the brunt but he is OK to continue.
20:06
4 min: That didn’t take long at all. Scott Dann and Gary Cahill, with their combined age of 178, were slow to get out to that. Palace’s problems started when Mateta gave the ball away very cheaply.
20:05
Goal! Leeds 1-0 Crystal Palace (Harrison, 3)
Leeds press the ball and it comes to Harrison, whose shot takes a deflection off Gary Cahill and in.
Jack Harrison of Leeds United scores the first goal. Photograph: Getty Images
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20:03
2 min: An early cross is claimed by Guaita. Palace not exactly starting at a lick. They will be wary of being caught by Leeds’ speed on the break, though Leeds ought to fear similar from Palace.
20:01
Reminder: Palace have lost all three matches without Wilfried Zaha this season.
20:00
The players are on the field and warming up after the Premier League anthem. They will need warming up. It’s -1 degrees in Leeds today.
19:52
Marcelo Bielsa is brief but to the point.
The players are the same but no two matches are the same. The players have to be aware of set pieces and how their full backs attack.
19:51
When last we met it was all too Eze for Palace. (Apologies)
Matt Muir emails in: “Nothing to contribute to your MBM whatsoever, but David Hopkin was my favourite Chelsea player for a while, mainly for slightly cultish reasons. You really don’t see footballers who look like that anymore.”
19:16
Zack Lawrence emails in: “It hurts me to say this but I’ve been impressed by Leeds this season. The way they play, even when they lose they still go at the opposition. They have done a lot better than I expected this season. Wish we could have some of them players such as Bamford at Boro…”
19:09
Marcelo Bielsa makes no changes from the team that lost to Everton last week. Roy Hodgson has no such luxury, as Wilfried Zaha is missing and Michy Batshuayi dropped to the bench as Jean-Philippe Mateta and Tyrick Mitchell come in. Palace have been hit badly by injuries and whatever else, and could only name six subs tonight.
19:05
Roy’s also eight years older than Steve Coppell, who became Palace manager in 1984.
Richard Jolly
(@RichJolly)Roy Hodgson is Crystal Palace manager in 2021 and is older than Steve Kember, who became Crystal Palace manager in 1981.
19:01
Here are the teams
Leeds United
(@LUFC)📋 Your #LUFC Starting XI…
Crystal Palace F.C.
(@CPFC)
Leeds: Meslier, Ayling, Cooper, Struijk, Alioski, Dallas, Phillips, Klich, Raphinha, Bamford, Harrison.
Subs: Casilla, Roberts, Costa, Davis, Gelhardt, Cresswell, Shackleton, Jenkins, Huggins.
Crystal Palace: Guaita, Clyne, Dann, Cahill, Van Aanholt, Mitchell, Riedeald, Milivojevic, Eze, Ayew, Mateta.
Subs: Butland, Kouyate, Townsend, Benteke, Batshuayi, Kelly.
Updated
16:00
Preamble
Well hello there. Here’s the latest spin on the eternal whirligig of football. Leeds Leeds Leeds’ revival came crashing last week when losing to Everton, while Roy Hodgson continues to maintain Palace in resolute mid-table after winning their last two matches against Wolves and Newcastle. Palace have also been freed from the traditional 3pm Saturday kick-offs where they have been tethered for much of the season. Or so it has felt. Though who knows anymore? Palace can climb above Marcelo Bielsa’s team with a win as both teams are level on 29 points, a healthy total at this point of the campaign.
When one thinks of Crystal Palace and Leeds, David Hopkin’s gap-toothed grin comes to mind. Neil Warnock managed both these clubs too, hardly an exclusive club but one to conjure with. Then there was Thomas Brolin, who also managed Palace, of course. Nigel Martyn was a superb servant in the goals for both too. Patrick Bamford will be playing against his former loan club tonight, as also will Andros Townsend. Again, there’s not much exclusivity there, either.
Kick-off at 8pm. Join me.
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