Leeds United’s Under-23 side lost their first Premier League 2 Division 2 clash in 10 matches – having won the previous nine – with a 2-0 defeat to Crystal Palace away from home. Crysencio Summerville was sent off after two yellow cards in the first half – while Jesuran Rak-Sakyi and Shaun Spence scored both goals in the second 45.
Mark Jackson’s men remain top of the table, 10 points clear of second-placed Stoke City and 14 ahead of Wolves – who have three games in hand. Here are three talking points from the the 2-0 defeat:
Berardi return a big boost
Gaetano Berardi was back in action for Leeds United, a phrase that not many would have predicted would ring true – given that his injury came weeks before his Leeds contract was due to expire. He played 45 minutes on Monday afternoon – before coming off at half-time. His return comes with three months in the Premier League campaign still to play, before his contract ends in June. He could play for Leeds again, with today a big step in the right direction.
Davis display a reminder to Bielsa
The 21-year-old left-back has only managed four senior appearances for Leeds this season, struggling to break into the first team despite playing 10 times beforehand. He is yet to reach the hype that initially surrounded him, but his performance on Monday was excellent. With Leeds still in need of a left-back, Davis’ brilliant display will come as a reminder to Marcelo Bielsa.
Summerville red the right decision
The convention is that Premier League 2 is somewhat lenient compared to senior football. Red cards are rare, and yellows are less common. But it sees Under-23 players finally make the step up, but are then considered far too aggressive. So, while the short-term decision to send Summerville off seemed harsh – his first yellow for dissent and a second for a tackle – in the long run it sees him learn a valuable lesson ahead of senior football.
