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Dominic Calvert-Lewin became the first Leeds striker to score in five consecutive Premier League games in 22 years to down a lethargic Crystal Palace, and open up a six-point gap on the relegation zone. Mark Viduka achieved the same feat in 2003, helping secure his side’s top-flight status with his instinctive finishing, another achievement the latest Elland Road No 9 is aiming to replicate.
The former Everton striker cannot have imagined almost 40,000 singing his name at Christmas when he was unemployed for much of the summer, reminding everyone that sometimes the best gifts are free. It took until mid-August for newly promoted Leeds to convince Calvert-Lewin this was the right place to rebuild his career and they are proving one another right, helped by the scorer of the third goal Ethan Ampadu’s long-throws.
“The numbers don’t lie, he’s in red-hot form at the moment,” Daniel Farke said of Calvert-Lewin. “[He is] one of the best English strikers in this league. He has proved it before, whenever he was fit, he has shown his quality. Right now he’s on a path to be a top, top-class player for Leeds United. I don’t like to speak about quality and top-class player just after a few weeks. You have to show this with consistency over the whole season.”
Palace spent the opening stages trying to dictate the tempo, helping them manage the workload of nine games in 26 days, partially explaining why they failed to make this competitive by being unable to match Leeds physically and deal with set pieces. There were 11 changes from Thursday’s draw against KuPS, and Oliver Glasner might have feared another was required when Marc Guéhi and Calvert-Lewin clashed heads but both were able to continue, ensuring the game played out in Leeds’s favour.
The plan to bombard the Palace box with set pieces was apparent from the start; a long throw-in belatedly fell to Joe Rodon on the edge of the box but his shot was deflected wide and from the resulting corner, the Welsh centre-back headed wide. Palace could not cope and did not learn from their mistakes, as they were punished by four.
A clumsy challenge by Tyrick Mitchell on Brenden Aaronson caused greater ire among the home supporters. Even more so when the referee, Thomas Bramall, and VAR deemed the left-back had got the slightest of touches on the ball prior to clearing out the American.
The anger was replaced with euphoria soon after when an Ampadu missile was flicked on to Calvert-Lewin in space at the back post. The striker was thwarted by Henderson the first time but not the second as a weary Palace slept. The goalkeeper’s complaints about poor marking made the moment even sweeter in Yorkshire.
Chants of “England’s number nine” rang around the stadium for a striker whose previous five goals required 40 appearances to amass. It was a boisterous atmosphere; if the Palace fans were upset by a difficult journey after an 8pm kick-off on a Saturday five days before Christmas, the Leeds brethren had embraced the opportunity.
Another throw, another Calvert-Lewin goal thanks to him once again being the first to react at the back post after a flick. This time it was a first-time header before he wheeled away but the feeling was the same for the striker and the majority inside Elland Road.
Calvert-Lewin began his Leeds career with one goal in 13 prior to this run of six in five. Few had belief in a 28-year-old who had suffered numerous injuries in recent seasons but Leeds are reaping the rewards. He is looking sharper and more confident as each game passes, and with a dearth of English No 9s around, maybe Thomas Tuchel will hear choruses. “In the six yard box is where I need to be,” Calvert-Lewin said. “When you’re in a good moment the ball starts dropping for you and that’s where I’m at.”
Ampadu got his reward as Palace once again struggled to clear their lines from a set piece. This time it was a corner which Aaronson headed back into the danger zone, made even more precarious by no one tracking the Leeds captain, who jabbed home. “We were bullied from every single set play, we could have conceded two or three more from set plays.” Glasner said. “ Conceding four set-play goals is also a bit embarrassing.”
Calvert-Lewin and Ampadu were given standing ovations when taken off late on, before Justin Devenny pulled one back from the spot, only for Anton Stach to restore the three-goal advantage in the 101st minute from a free-kick.
Leeds can enjoy Christmas relieved by being two wins clear of 18th-placed West Ham. There is no rest for the very wicked, as Palace face Arsenal in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday, where they will be desperately hoping to rediscover the energy they forgot to bring to Yorkshire.
