Although Dominic Calvert-Lewin took the man of the match award for Leeds United, Daniel Farke will be satisfied with a dominant team performance against Crystal Palace.
Elland Road was jubilant at full-time after Leeds’ statement win over Crystal Palace, as the Whites showed they truly belong at the top level.
Although Dominic Calvert-Lewin was majestic in attack for Leeds, Daniel Farke will take great satisfaction from the fact that his side produced a true team performance.
Ethan Ampadu got a well-deserved goal after another strong display in midfield, Joe Rodon caught Palace off-guard with his marauding runs down the right, and Anton Stach capped off another exceptional performance with a late free-kick to secure the win.
However, Leeds had another star performer in defence, as Jaka Bijol showed exactly why Leeds were desperate to sign him in the summer by producing a towering performance in both boxes.
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Jaka Bijol was the unsung hero for Leeds United v Crystal Palace
Jaka Bijol took some time to find his feet at Leeds, as he was made to wait for his chance to make his Premier League debut.
However, he is now showing exactly why Leeds identified him as a key signing in the summer, as he produced another strong display against Crystal Palace.
Palace had the better of the opening exchanges, but Bijol helped to keep striker Jean-Philippe Mateta quiet, winning six aerial duels according to FotMob.
Bijol completed the most passes of any player on the pitch, with 64, and also made seven defensive contributions while the Whites controlled Palace for the majority of the game.
The towering defender also chipped in with two crucial contributions in attack, playing a role in two of Leeds’ goals, to underline his growing importance at the heart of the Leeds defence.
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Joe Hart describes Jaka Bijol assist as ‘world-class’
Bijol contributed two assists to Leeds’ 4-1 win over Palace, as he proved a constant thorn in the Eagles’ side from attacking set pieces.
The Slovenian provided a neat flick-on for Calvert-Lewin to score Leeds’ second, before producing a back heel for Ethan Ampadu’s first Premier League goal.
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According to Joe Hart, speaking on Match of the Day, Bijol’s second assist was “world-class”, as he said: “Leeds look really, really good going forward.
“Talk about Aaronson highlighted on the edge here, just helping it back in. Bijol gets an absolutely world-class touch here. And Ampadu, who was heavily involved in creating the first two goals, gets his name on the score sheet. Excellent performance from him.”
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