Leeds United may feel a sense of deja vu this weekend, as they prepare to take on Crystal Palace in the Premier League.
Daniel Farke is looking to maintain his side’s recent upturn in form, having taken five points from their last three games.
Another goal from striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin helped Leeds claim a valuable away point against Brentford in their last game, as the Whites established a three-point cushion on the bottom three in the Premier League.
Leeds will be hoping to welcome back striker Lukas Nmecha into their squad for the game, after the German missed Leeds’ last two games through injury.
The game against Brentford should have provided Leeds with the perfect preparation to face Palace, as the stats show there are a number of similarities between the two sides.
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Elland Road has been a fortress this season.
Leeds United will face a familiar opponent in Crystal Palace clash
Leeds were the better side against Brentford for long stretches of the game, having dominated most statistical categories.
As a result, they can be confident of causing Oliver Glasner’s Palace side problems this weekend, with the Opta stats showing just how similar they are to Brentford.
Defensively, Palace are generally happy to allow teams to play in front of them, which is shown by their PPDA average of 15.0, which is the second highest in the league.
PPDA stands for passes per direct action, which divides the number of opposition passes by defensive action, with a higher number indicating a less intense defensive block. Keith Andrews’ side ranks seventh by this metric.
| Metric | Crystal Palace Total | PL Rank | Brentford Total | PL Rank |
| Direct Speed | 2.16 | 1st | 1.97 | 2nd |
| Passes Per Sequence | 3.02 | 19th | 2.94 | 20th |
| 10+ Pass Sequence | 104 | =19th | 104 | =19th |
| PPDA | 15 | 2nd | 13.8 | 7th |
| High Turnovers | 82 | 19th | 103 | 12th |
| Goals from High Turnovers | 1 | =11th | 1 | =11th |
Palace have also made the second-fewest high turnovers, with just 82; only one of which has resulted in a goal. Brentford have made more high turnovers, with 103, but only one has resulted in a goal.
However, Leeds must be wary of Palace’s strength on the counterattack. Palace have the highest direct speed in attack of any Premier League team, which is calculated by dividing the metres the ball travels by the time of that sequence.
Palace’s average direct speed of 2.16 is fractionally ahead of Brentford, who rank second with 1.97. However, Brentford are the only team who average fewer passes per sequence than Palace, with 2.94 to Palace’s 3.02.
Crystal Palace are underperforming in attack
Palace currently sit fifth in the Premier League heading into the game against Leeds, as they continue to defy the odds under Glasner.
This is made even more impressive by the Eagles’ relative underperformance in front of goal, which could see them climb the table further if they can improve.
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According to Opta’s data, Palace are currently the biggest underperformers in the league, based on their actual goals versus expected goals.
The Eagles have scored just 20 goals this season from an xG total of 26.51, for a delta of -6.51. Farke and his Leeds side will be hoping that trend can continue one week longer for their trip to Elland Road.
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