The plaudits for Leeds United continue to flood in after going on a run of three games unbeaten, with Daniel Farke turning his side’s season around after such a disastrous run.
Next up is arguably Daniel Farke’s biggest game as Leeds manager. Crystal Palace at home doesn’t sound particularly big, but in the grand scheme of things, the bid for survival and Farke’s plans, it is massive.
A game against a Palace side that played on Thursday night, and has six players missing, including Ismaila Sarr, Daniel Munoz, and Daichi Kamada. A side that lost to City and failed to beat Finnish side KuPS.
Leeds win and Dominic Calvert-Lewin scores – change my mind 👊
Fifth goal in a row, incoming
Elland Road, Palace’s fatigue and missing players and their recent form point to a possible Leeds win. But even more importantly, a win would take Leeds six clear of the drop zone, as West Ham go to Man City.
If Leeds are to get a win, Dominic Calvert-Lewin will be crucial for the Whites. If he scores on Saturday, the England star will match Mark Viduka’s 22-year record of scoring in five Premier League games in a row.
Simon Grayson compares Dominic Calvert-Lewin to Lee Chapman
Calvert-Lewin has been a sensational signing. Chris Sutton even said he’d pick him as Sports Personality of the Year, if his run of goals has begun earlier. Rory McIlroy won the competition on Thursday night.
Speaking on Don’t Go To Bed Just Yet’s live podcast, Simon Grayson compared Calvert-Lewin to 1992 title winner Lee Chapman and reckons Calvert-Lewin can be the difference between survival and relegation.
“When we signed him, the only thing questioned was whether we could keep him fit. His hold-up play is exceptional, gets on the end of crosses, and brings others into play. A massive asset if we keep him fit.
“He could be the difference between staying up and not. He’s a proper throwback to a centre-forward from the 90’s, like an Ian Baird or a Lee Chapman, you can get it into him, he’s disruptive in the box.”
Answer this: Leeds United will finish in ___th place if Dominic Calvert-Lewin stays fit 📊
Six goals in five for the big man!
Calvert-Lewin could match his third-best season on Saturday
Calvert-Lewin’s best season in the Premier League came back in 2020-21, when the 11-time England star scored 16 goals. The season before that saw Calvert-Lewin score 13 times, his best two top-tier seasons.
His third-best was a tally of seven in 2023-24 and come Saturday, if the striker manages to score a brace against Palace, he will have already matched that in a Leeds shirt at the halfway point of the entire season.
Remarkable, given Leeds fans were concerned about Calvert-Lewin’s arrival and that the striker struggled to find the back of the net in his first couple of months as a Leeds player. Leeds need Calvert-Lewin.
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