Leeds United v Crystal Palace: Key stats and talking points
· Yahoo Sports
In-form Leeds United test their unbeaten record against a Crystal Palace side who have problems in defence. BBC Sport takes a look at the key themes going into Sunday's game at Elland Road.
Up to third in the league and boasting a record of just one defeat in 13 league matches – and just five in their past 29 - these are great times for Leeds fans.
Visit mwafrika.life for more information.
Having already amassed eight points from four matches, a win over Palace would mean Daniel Farke's side equalling their best start to a Premier League season after five games - set under David O'Leary in 2001-02.
Central to the rip-roaring 4-1 victory over Newcastle - and their resurgence as a whole - has been in-form striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who notched two goals and an assist on Monday to continue his red-hot streak in home games.
It made him only the second player after Mark Viduka to score in five successive Premier League fixtures at Elland Road and he now has the chance to become the first Leeds player to score in six consecutive top-flight appearances at home since Arthur Hydes did so in 1932-33.
Since joining the Whites at the start of last season, only Manchester City's Erling Haaland (16) and Brentford's Igor Thiago (13) have scored more Premier League home goals than the 10 by the recalled England's striker.
[BBC]He has been a key cog in Leeds turning Elland Road into a real fortress, with their last defeat in front of their own fans coming on 3 March.
Going into the weekend, only Arsenal (52), Manchester City (50), Manchester United (45) and Bournemouth (37) had claimed more top-flight points in 2026 than the 35 Farke's side have mustered.
The German boss has been helped by consistent team selections - naming an unchanged starting XI for 10 Premier League games since the start of 2025-26, the most by any side.
Eagles shipping goals
Crystal Palace's rocky start to life under new boss Pierre Sage continued last Saturday with a demoralising late defeat by Ipswich to make it three defeats from four league games.
Once again their suspect defence was exposed. Axel Disasi's 34th minute red card certainly didn't help matters, but shipping multiple goals merely continued an unwanted trend that begun under Oliver Glasner.
The Eagles have now conceded two or more times in 10 consecutive top-flight matches – second only to Fulham's Premier League record of 13 straight games set in January to April 2019.
Defensively they have been all over the place and have shipped the most goals (11), faced the most xG (8.15) and joint most shots on target (26) and allowed their opponents the most touches in their own box (164).
[BBC]Losing three totems of their defence across the January and summer transfer windows in Marc Guehi, Maxence Lacroix and Daniel Munoz is being keenly felt, while injuries have also not helped, with goalkeeper and skipper Dean Henderson again absent for this game.
Highly rated defender Jaydee Canvot was left out of the squad to face Ipswich with Sage saying: "I need more from him."
Last season's Conference League champions did at least enjoy a successful step up to the Europa League on Thursday with their debut in the competition ending in a morale boosting 4-0 win over Lech Poznan.