Leeds United is set to host Crystal Palace for the 30th week of the Premier League on Sunday, April 9, 2023, at Elland Road, England, at 8:00 PM (UTC+7). Currently, Crystal Palace is in 12th position in the Premier League standings, one point ahead of Leeds, who occupies 13th place. This will be the 59th domestic competition between the two teams, with Leeds winning 31 times, Crystal Palace won 19 times, and 17 matches ending in a draw since they first met in December 1921.
Leeds United managed to bounce back by winning against Nottingham Forest mid-week after suffering a defeat from Arsenal. They have only lost once in their last three matches and are unbeaten in their last three home games. The Peacocks have also collected nine goals from their last four Premier League matches, only losing to top teams such as Arsenal, Man City, Man United, and Fulham when playing at home. However, Leeds’ position in the Premier League this season is not entirely safe as they are only two points away from the relegation zone.
Meanwhile, Roy Hodgson’s debut as Crystal Palace coach paid off after his team won against Leicester mid-week. The victory ended their streak of 13 games without a win in all competitions this season and brought them to 12th place. Before beating Leicester, Crystal Palace had suffered four consecutive defeats in the league and lost five times when playing away. Now, they aim to break their streak of seven consecutive losses to Leeds at Elland Road since 2006.
Leeds United will play without Max Wober, Stuart Dallas, Adam Forshaw, and Tyler Adams, who are all injured. While, Crystal Palace will be without Wilfried Zaha, Vicente Guaita, Nathan Ferguson, and Chris Richards, who are still receiving treatment. Leeds will likely start with Meslier, Kristensen, Koch, Struijk, Firpo, McKennie, Roca, Harrison, Aaronson, Sinisterra, and Bamford. Meanwhile, Crystal Palace will likely start with Johnstone, Ward, Andersen, Guehi, Mitchell, Schlupp, Doucoure, Eze, Olise, Mateta, and Ayew.
Although Crystal Palace lost Wilfried Zaha, they still have dangerous attacking options that warn Leeds’ fragile defense. However, Leeds is also strong when playing at home, where they have not lost to teams from the bottom of the Premier League this season. Therefore, a draw is predicted to end their second encounter, with a score of 2-2 between Leeds and Crystal Palace.
