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Leeds United gained a deserved victory over Crystal Palace to move into the top half of the Premier League table.
The hosts only needed three minutes before they went ahead as Jack Harrison’s strike from the edge of the penalty area took a big deflection off Gary Cahill and looped past Vicente Guaita.
Patrick Bamford, Raphinha and Pascal Struijk all had opportunities to double Leeds’ advantage in the first half.
But Bamford killed the game off early in the second half with a tap-in for his 100th goal in club football after Guaita had parried Raphinha’s shot.
Harrison nearly grabbed his second and Leeds’ third late on but saw his effort rebound off the crossbar.
Eberechi Eze wasted a rare chance for the visitors when he shot over when well placed on a disappointing night for the Eagles.
The victory moves Leeds up from 11th and above Arsenal to 10th, while Palace, who themselves would have gone into the top half with a win, remain 13th.
Leeds continue to impress as Bamford reaches a century
Leeds won the Championship last season as they ended a run of 16 seasons outside the top flight and while the two teams that came up with them – West Brom and Fulham – have struggled and are in the bottom three, Marcelo Bielsa’s side have thrived.
This was their 10th league win of the season and Leeds are aiming for their first top-10 finish in English football since they came fifth and qualified for the Uefa Cup in 2001-02.
It was one of their most straightforward outings of the campaign and they never looked like squandering the lead given to them by Harrison’s early goal.
Bamford, who failed to score in a nine-game loan spell with the Eagles in 2015-16, had a header saved by Guaita and then fired harmlessly over with only the goalkeeper to beat.
The excellent, skilful Raphinha curled a free-kick over the top and then had a shot on the turn blocked by a desperate Cahill challenge as Leeds continued to create chances.
Struijk missed two good headed opportunities but those misses did not prove costly as Bamford followed up after Raphinha’s shot was parried to score his 12th Premier League goal of the season.
That took the 27-year-old to a century of career goals, including 21 on loan at MK Dons, eight on loan with Derby, 33 with Middlesbrough and 38 with his current side.
Leeds could have stretched their winning margin but Guaita, Palace’s best player, did well to get down quickly to push a low shot from Stuart Dallas wide, and Harrison hit the woodwork.
The only downside for Leeds was an injury to England international Kalvin Phillips, who went off late in the second half with what looked to be a calf injury.
More to follow.
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Leeds United
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Squad number1Player nameMeslier
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Squad number2Player nameAyling
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Squad number21Player nameStruijk
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Squad number6Player nameCooper
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Squad number10Player nameAlioski
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Squad number23Player namePhillips
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Squad number18Player nameRaphinha
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Squad number15Player nameDallas
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Squad number43Player nameKlich
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Squad number22Player nameHarrison
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Squad number9Player nameBamford
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Squad number46Player nameShackleton
Crystal Palace
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Squad number31Player nameGuaita
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Squad number17Player nameClyne
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Squad number6Player nameDann
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Squad number24Player nameCahill
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Squad number27Player nameMitchell
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Squad number25Player nameEze
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Squad number4Player nameMilivojevic
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Squad number44Player nameRiedewald
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Squad number3Player namevan Aanholt
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Squad number14Player nameMateta
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Squad number9Player nameJ Ayew
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Squad number10Player nameTownsend
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Squad number20Player nameBenteke
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Squad number23Player nameBatshuayi
Line-ups
Leeds
Formation 4-1-4-1
- 1Meslier
- 2Ayling
- 21Struijk
- 6Cooper
- 10Alioski
- 23PhillipsSubstituted forShackletonat 88′minutes
- 18Raphinha
- 15Dallas
- 43Klich
- 22Harrison
- 9Bamford
Substitutes
- 11Roberts
- 13Casilla
- 17Hélder Costa
- 24Davis
- 30Gelhardt
- 35Cresswell
- 46Shackleton
- 47Jenkins
- 52Huggins
Crystal Palace
Formation 4-4-2
- 31Guaita
- 17Clyne
- 6Dann
- 24CahillBooked at 37mins
- 27Mitchell
- 25Eze
- 4MilivojevicBooked at 76mins
- 44Riedewald
- 3van AanholtSubstituted forTownsendat 45′minutes
- 14MatetaSubstituted forBatshuayiat 65′minutes
- 9J AyewSubstituted forBentekeat 76′minutes
Substitutes
- 1Butland
- 8Kouyaté
- 10Townsend
- 20Benteke
- 23Batshuayi
- 34Kelly
Live Text
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Match ends, Leeds United 2, Crystal Palace 0.
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Second Half ends, Leeds United 2, Crystal Palace 0.
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Attempt saved. Christian Benteke (Crystal Palace) header from the centre of the box is saved in the top left corner. Assisted by Andros Townsend with a cross.
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Substitution, Leeds United. Jamie Shackleton replaces Kalvin Phillips because of an injury.
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Kalvin Phillips (Leeds United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Luka Milivojevic (Crystal Palace).
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Jack Harrison (Leeds United) hits the bar with a left footed shot from the centre of the box.
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Attempt missed. Gary Cahill (Crystal Palace) header from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Eberechi Eze with a cross following a corner.
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Corner, Crystal Palace. Conceded by Ezgjan Alioski.
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Corner, Leeds United. Conceded by Christian Benteke.
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Corner, Leeds United. Conceded by Tyrick Mitchell.
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Substitution, Crystal Palace. Christian Benteke replaces Jordan Ayew.
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Luka Milivojevic (Crystal Palace) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
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Stuart Dallas (Leeds United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Luka Milivojevic (Crystal Palace).
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Attempt missed. Liam Cooper (Leeds United) header from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Kalvin Phillips with a cross following a corner.
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Corner, Leeds United. Conceded by Vicente Guaita.
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Attempt saved. Stuart Dallas (Leeds United) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Jack Harrison.
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Attempt saved. Andros Townsend (Crystal Palace) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Eberechi Eze.
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Foul by Luke Ayling (Leeds United).
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