Leeds United welcome Crystal Palace to Elland Road on 20 September 2026 for a Premier League Gameweek 5 clash between a home side that have not dropped a point all season and visitors who have conceded eleven league goals in four games and cannot afford another afternoon of defensive chaos. Leeds sit fourth with eight points, enjoying their best top flight start since 2001-02, whereas Palace occupy 16th place with three points while also managing Europa League commitments.
Daniel Farke has been in charge at Leeds since 4 July 2023, while Pierre Sage took over at Crystal Palace on 15 June 2026 after replacing Oliver Glasner, making this their first direct meeting as managers.
Leeds arrive in strong shape after a 4-1 home win over Newcastle United on 14 September, their last four Premier League results reading W-D-D-W: a side that has scored in every game and kept two clean sheets in four. Palace's domestic form has been far rougher, L-L-W-L across their opening four fixtures. A 4-0 Europa League win against Lech Poznan around 17 September at least confirmed their attack is functioning, even if the league record tells a different story. Eleven goals conceded is the plain problem, whatever the causes.
Leeds have several absences to manage, with Harry Wilson (quad), Joe Rodon (hamstring) and Mateo Joseph (knee) all ruled out and Ilia Gruev a doubt through his own knee complaint. Four first-team absences at once is a test of squad depth, whatever Farke's rotation preferences.
Palace's situation is even more threadbare. Dean Henderson (ankle) and Jean-Philippe Mateta (hamstring) are sidelined, Chadi Riad misses out with a knee problem and Axel Disasi is suspended for three matches after his red card against Ipswich Town, with Ismaila Sarr also a doubt with a groin or pelvic complaint. Disasi's absence is the one that stings most, given he was the only fit senior centre-back with Premier League experience in Sage's squad and now he is gone, leaving whoever fills in behind the midfield to absorb considerably more.
Leeds operate with a back three that lets wing backs get forward and James Trafford's two clean sheets in four games are the clearest sign that the defensive shape holds when Farke has a full back line to pick from. Dominic Calvert-Lewin leads the attack with three league goals to his name and is the obvious focal point against a depleted Palace defence. Palace have favoured a 3-4-2-1 under Sage, with Adam Wharton anchoring midfield and Yeremy Pino carrying the attacking burden wide but the defensive absences leave them short at the back. If Wharton is pressed into errors rather than allowed to play forward when Leeds push high, Palace lose their only reliable route out of their own half and Calvert-Lewin against a makeshift back line becomes the central problem for them to solve.
Their most recent meeting at Elland Road ended 4-1, which tells you most of what you need to know about how these fixtures have gone when Leeds have the crowd behind them.
Set pieces could matter given the personnel gaps on both sides, though Palace's depleted back line is the more exposed of the two when Leeds attack from dead balls. The quick turnaround from Palace's midweek Europa League trip adds another layer of difficulty, while Leeds have had the extra days to prepare without a European leg to manage.
This looks like a 1-0 for Leeds United. Palace are missing too many players, they have been shipping goals at a troubling rate and they are walking into a ground where the home side have not lost all season. Calvert-Lewin against a makeshift back line is where Leeds' goal is most likely to come from and the back three and pressing structure look well set for the rest.
Ryan Baldi
Football Writer
Ryan Baldi is a professional football writer with years of experience and has been featured by respected outlets such as the BBC, The Guardian, Sky Sports, DAZN, FourFourTwo, ESPN, Yahoo Sport and Football365. He has also written several books including Arsène Who?.
