The Premier League’s festive fixture crunch sets the stage for a compelling tactical battle at Elland Road this Saturday, as Leeds United host Crystal Palace. With the match coming just 48 hours after Palace’s 2-2 UEFA Conference League draw with KuPS, Eagles manager Oliver Glasner has confirmed a full-scale rotation of his starting eleven. He named the exact side he intends to field: Dean Henderson in goal, with a backline of Marc Guéhi, Lacroix, Richards, and Mitchell. The midfield and attack will feature Hughes, Wharton, Clyne, Pino, Eddie Nketiah, and Jean-Philippe Mateta. Glasner admitted the schedule is far from ideal, joking, ‘I would have preferred to play them not within 48 hours, but no.’ He also expressed uncertainty over which players would then be available for Tuesday’s Carabao Cup quarter-final against Arsenal.
For Leeds United, manager Daniel Farke makes just one change to the side that drew 1-1 with Brentford last weekend, with Brenden Aaronson replacing Ao Tanaka in the starting lineup. The focal point of their attack remains the red-hot Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who is aiming to score in a fifth consecutive Premier League game. His form has been so impressive that BBC pundit Chris Sutton remarked that had it come a little earlier, Calvert-Lewin would have been his vote for Sports Personality of the Year. Farke’s men line up with Perri in goal, a defence of Bogle, Gudmundsson, Ampadu, Struijk, and Rodon, and a midfield and attack featuring Aaronson, Bijol, Stach, Calvert-Lewin, and the speedy Noah Okafor.
This Leeds United vs Crystal Palace encounter pits two contrasting approaches against one another. Glasner has highlighted the threat posed by the newly-promoted side, noting their switch to a 3-5-2 formation and praising Farke as a ‘fantastic coach.’ He specifically pointed out the potent strike partnership of the aerial threat Calvert-Lewin and the rapid Okafor, whom he knows from Red Bull Salzburg, calling it a ‘very good combination.’ Crystal Palace, however, travel as the Premier League’s counter-attacking specialists and boast the division’s best away record this season with five wins from eight games on the road.
The match is not without significant absences for the visitors. Glasner confirmed that aside from the rotational changes, Palace will be without the injured Daichi Kamada and Ismaïla Sarr, the latter away on Africa Cup of Nations duty with Senegal. Their absence, particularly Sarr’s pace, is seen as a blow. Sutton, in his prediction for the game, noted that Palace’s European commitments have stretched them before and that missing Sarr could be a factor, leading him to forecast a 1-1 draw. He described the contest as a choice between ‘the energy of Leeds or back streetwise Palace.’
Ultimately, this Premier League fixture is a fascinating test for both teams. For Leeds United and Daniel Farke, it’s a chance to continue proving their top-flight credentials and build on a positive run of form at a packed Elland Road. For Crystal Palace, it’s a challenge of squad depth and tactical nous as they navigate a brutally congested period. Glasner’s pre-announced rotated side will need to be immediately cohesive to handle the intensity Farke’s men will bring, making this a defining moment in both clubs’ festive schedules.