Crystals palace star Ismaïla Sarr break the internet as he mocks Leeds United and their fans in a brutal instagram post

Leeds United fans on ‘ludicrous’ red card, ‘unsporting’ Crystal Palace response & ‘outstanding’ reaction

The YEP’s Leeds United jury reflect on a hard-earned point at Crystal Palace.

Leeds United fought tooth and nail to overcome adversity and earn a 0-0 draw at Crystal Palace on Sunday. The Whites played the entire second-half with 10 men after Gabriel Gudmundsson’s debatable sending off, which came just minutes after Dominic Calvert-Lewin missed a penalty.

Below, the YEP jury reflect on that red card, one of several controversial decisions, and the outstanding defensive response from Leeds…

Leeds finished the weekend in exactly the same position league-wise as they entered it with all relegation “contenders” drawing. But this was a chance to gain points on the contenders and misfortune conspired against the Whites.

Firstly, Man City failed to turn dominance into victory at West Ham, then Liverpool suffered a soft late equaliser against Spurs whilst Leeds missed a penalty on half-time and had Gabi Gudmundsson harshly sent off following another poor refereeing display.

Gudmundsson was dismissed for a very soft second yellow with the referee appearing to forget he had booked him earlier – after being reminded by Palace players – one of those situations where a warning usually suffices (and indeed did for Brennan Johnson who later escaped equal punishment).

And the celebrations from Palace’s Jaydee Canvot following Gudmundsson’s dismissal were unsporting and, in my opinion, warranted a yellow card. So, Leeds played 45 minutes with 10 men and never conceded even one decent goal attempt.

With 11 players, or a converted penalty, Leeds would likely have won the game, but given the circumstances, whilst disappointing, a point was a good result.

Once again it was poor officials that will take the headlines after the 0-0 draw with Palace. Leeds were reduced to 10 men when the referee sent off Gabi Gudmundsson in first-half injury time.

Minutes earlier, Dominic Calvert-Lewin had an opportunity to put his team ahead but his penalty went wide. The point kept things as they were as West Ham and Forest both drew. Spurs surprisingly got a point at Anfield.

Leeds were decent in the first half and, from a corner, the referee gave a penalty which was confirmed by VAR. Strangely, Nmecha gave the ball to Calvert-Lewin but the centre forward didn’t convert it.

Minutes into injury time there was a clash that left Gudmundsson on the ground. The referee realised the defender had already been booked and produced a red card. Obviously, down to 10 men they had to rebound with Jayden Bogle and Ilia Gruev coming on and it was a superb rear-guard display in the second half with both Joe Rodon and Jaka Bijol outstanding.

Karl Darlow made a superb save to keep Leeds in it, Palace actually scored from the rebound but it was ruled out for offside. I think a point in London is a decent result. On to next week, Brentford under the lights.

All things considered, a point in London is a point in London. We can’t dwell on wondering about which way the game would have gone if not for Gabriel Gudmundsson’s red card, but Leeds were excellent value for the point they earned at Selhurst Park.

There’s no arguing that it was a red card, but Leeds will feel aggrieved that it wasn’t 10 vs 10 for a period in the second half. Brennan Johnson was very lucky to stay on the pitch in what was another contentious decision against the Whites.

The game may have gone in another direction had Dominic Calvert-Lewin put his penalty away, but at least it was a weekend where no-one gained any ground on Leeds in the battle to avoid relegation. The Whites have been fragile at the back at times and, with 10 men, you always fear the worst.

However, every player in a white shirt fought for their lives and the team were well worthy of their reward. Gudmundsson will be missed in next week’s game against Brentford but, at home, Leeds will fancy themselves to get three points on the board.

Man of the match: Karl Darlow.

DAVID WATKINS

There is no quote more appropriate for Leeds United than that uttered by former YEP and Athletic journalist Phil Hay when he said Leeds “don’t do simple, they don’t take the clearly marked path when there’s a minefield to explore, but they do not throw in the towel either”.

It is a quote that could have been used numerous times this season as we have continually shot ourselves in the foot, but it seems fitting for this game. In a mad five minutes, Leeds went from the ecstasy of being awarded a priceless penalty in a crucial game, to the agony of then missing it and then suffering another ludicrous refereeing decision that had Gabi Gudmundsson heading for an early bath.

Dom Calvert-Lewin’s horrible penalty and the referee’s unfathomable yellow card decision (he had clearly forgotten the first one earlier or I’m sure he’d not have given this one), had all the feeling of many a Leeds game in London about it, when, more often than not, the combination of rotten luck and our own shortcomings has done for us.

Of course, Leeds didn’t throw in the towel and somehow managed to get to the final whistle with one point still intact, but it’s another huge opportunity missed, with all of our relegation rivals drawing this weekend.

Man of the match: Joe Rodon.

MIKE GILL

Leeds United came to south London with a positive line up and had things been different, they could have won by at least a two-goal margin.

Things started to go wrong with the penalty miss. Dominic Calvert-Lewin sent Palace goalkeeper Walter Benitez the wrong way. The trouble was, he also sent the ball the wrong way and wide of the post.

Shortly afterwards, referee Thomas Bramall had a memory lapse and presented Gabriel Gudmundsson with a yellow card. forgetting that he had also served our man with one already. Bramall then had to pull himself together and produce a red card but nobody was fooled.

In the second half, the amnesia-suffering official failed to put things right by failing to issue a second yellow to Brennan Johnson. The true story of this match though was a fine defensive performance from United who dealt with everything that the Eagles threw at them.

This was another precious point gained on the road and enough indicators that the Whites are on the right track for survival. Bring on Brentford.