Leeds United 4-1 Crystal Palace: Post-match review, Stats, Key moments

Dive into Coral’s post-match review of Leeds United 4-1 Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Saturday, 20 December 2025, with stats, key moments and our take on the match.

Leeds United beat Crystal Palace 4-1 in a lively encounter at Elland Road. The hosts took control before the break, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin opening the scoring in the 38th minute and adding a second in the 45+4th minute, assisted by Jaka Bijol, to give Leeds a comfortable lead going into half-time. Crystal Palace, coming off back-to-back losses including a heavy defeat to Manchester City, struggled to find their rhythm early on despite some recent wins against Fulham and Burnley.

In the second half, Ethan Ampadu extended Leeds’ advantage to 3-0 in the 60th minute, putting the game seemingly out of reach. Palace pulled one back late through Justin Devenny’s penalty in the 90+2nd minute, but Anton Stach sealed the win for Leeds with a goal in the 90+11th minute after a VAR check involving Ilia Gruev. This result builds on Leeds’ mixed recent form, including draws with Brentford and Liverpool plus a win over Chelsea, helping them bounce back from a loss to Manchester City.

Leeds United edged possession with 53% compared to Palace’s 47%, which helped them create more opportunities, as shown by their nine corners against Palace’s five. While Palace had the upper hand in successful dribbles at 50 to Leeds’ 40, suggesting they were lively on the counter, Leeds were more clinical overall, recording one assist while Palace had none, and they avoided heavy discipline with just one yellow card against Palace’s three. On penalties, Palace took one but it was their only goal, and both sides used all five substitutions, with Leeds making double changes around the 77th and 87th minutes to freshen things up, like Wilfried Gnonto replacing Noah Okafor and Ao Tanaka coming on for Brenden Aaronson.

The stats paint a picture of Leeds dominating territory without completely overwhelming the dribble count, but their efficiency in front of goal and fewer bookings kept them in control throughout.

The game turned on Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s brace before half-time, first striking in the 38th minute and then netting again in the 45+4th, with Jaka Bijol providing the assist for the second to give Leeds a strong lead. Ethan Ampadu’s 60th-minute goal made it 3-0, effectively killing off Palace’s hopes, though the visitors got a late consolation when Justin Devenny converted a penalty in the 90+2nd minute. Substitutions played a role too, with Palace bringing on Jefferson Lerma for Will Hughes at the break to try and steady the ship, and Leeds introducing Ilia Gruev for Ethan Ampadu in the 87th, just before a VAR decision in the 90+10th led to Anton Stach’s dramatic 90+11th-minute goal to wrap things up.

Yellow cards added tension, like Maxence Lacroix’s booking for Palace in the 42nd and Leeds’ Lucas Perri in the 90+1st, but no reds meant both teams finished with 11 men.

Leeds United lined up in a 3-5-2 formation that allowed them to control the midfield and push forward effectively, with Ethan Ampadu anchoring things well before his substitution for Ilia Gruev in the 87th minute. Dominic Calvert-Lewin led the line sharply up front, bagging a brace, while partnerships like the one with assist-provider Jaka Bijol helped create chances. Players like Jayden Bogle, who was replaced by James Justin in the 80th, contributed to a solid defensive shape that limited Palace’s threats.

Crystal Palace set up in a 3-4-2-1 shape aimed at compactness and quick breaks, with Maxence Lacroix and Marc Guéhi in defence picking up early yellow cards in the 42nd and 45+2nd minutes respectively. Justin Devenny made an impact after coming on for Eddie Nketiah in the 77th, scoring from the spot late on, while changes like Borna Sosa replacing Nathaniel Clyne in the 65th tried to add width. The setup relied on players like Adam Wharton, who got booked in the 90+7th, to drive from midfield, but it couldn’t overcome Leeds’ pressure.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin earned Coral’s Man of the Match honours for his standout performance, netting two crucial goals that set Leeds on their way to victory. While he didn’t rack up assists or big chances created, his one key pass showed his involvement in build-up play, and his clinical finishing in the 38th and 45+4th minutes proved decisive. Starting up front, he was a constant threat before being replaced by Joël Piroe in the 87th minute, making him the clear difference-maker in a dominant Leeds display.

Recent Premier League matches:

• Win: 4-1 vs Crystal Palace (H)
• Draw: 1-1 vs Brentford (A)
• Draw: 3-3 vs Liverpool (H)
• Win: 3-1 vs Chelsea (H)
• Loss: 2-3 vs Manchester City (A)

Recent Premier League matches:

• Loss: 1-4 vs Leeds United (A)
• Loss: 0-3 vs Manchester City (H)
• Win: 2-1 vs Fulham (A)
• Win: 1-0 vs Burnley (A)
• Loss: 1-2 vs Manchester United (H)

Leeds United have just secured a convincing 4-1 win over Crystal Palace, boosting their confidence as they sit 16th on 19 points after a patchy run that includes draws with Brentford and Liverpool, plus a loss to Manchester City. They’ll look to build on this momentum in their next fixture against Sunderland on 28 December 2025 at 14:00, with the visitors currently sixth on 27 points and pushing for promotion spots. A positive result could help Leeds climb away from the lower half and chase a more comfortable mid-table position.

Crystal Palace have just suffered a 4-1 defeat to Leeds United, adding to their recent struggles with back-to-back losses including one to Manchester City, despite earlier wins over Fulham and Burnley. Currently eighth on 26 points, they’ll aim to regroup for a tough test against Arsenal on 23 December 2025 at 20:00, where the league leaders sit top on 39 points and will be favourites. Picking up points here could solidify Palace’s push for European places, but they’ll need to tighten up defensively to avoid slipping down the table.

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