‘Mixed emotions’ for Farke as Leeds stay unbeaten with Crystal Palace stalemate

Perhaps it is testament to the progress Leeds have made since returning to the Premier League just over a year ago that there was frustration at failing to move up to third after drawing with Crystal Palace. Instead, Daniel Farke’s team enter the prolonged international break in fifth and unbeaten, which is a fine achievement in itself.

Apart from Tyrick Mitchell’s disallowed goal, neither side gave much impression they would secure the points. For Palace, it was a first clean sheet of the season, having conceded at least twice in their opening four games, relieving pressure on Pierre Sage, while the hosts endured their first blank.

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A win by two clear goals would have given Leeds their best-ever start to a Premier League season. But their attacking play was weak in the final third. Fans even showed some frustration during a slow performance, chanting "forward," as the team failed to repeat their big win over Newcastle on Monday.

“Mixed emotions,” Farke said. “We would have preferred to win, but the reality is it is 38 game days. It is not always magic nights under the floodlights, champagne football, you overrun the opponent and score goals for fun. Sometimes it is a scruffy Sunday afternoon when you have to dig in. This was one of these games.”

Farke is into the final year of his contract and signing a new deal is a priority for him and the club. His stature has grown over the past 10 months, with Leeds the fifth-best performing team in the division since December 2025 and the German will likely be rewarded in the coming weeks for bringing stability to the club as Leeds aim to build on strong foundations.

The most notable moment of the opening quarter came when Walter Benítez took too long to give up the ball. The referee, Adam Herczeg, was making his Premier League debut and knew the rules well. He gave Leeds a corner as the penalty for this. It was a cautious game in the autumn sunshine, without much intensity or quality. Ao Tanaka's rushed shot was the closest anyone came to threatening a goal.

Around the half-hour something akin to a football match broke out as nervousness was replaced by urgency. Jørgen Strand Larsen and Quinten Timber engineered a chance for Palace which was blocked and allowed Leeds to break through Noah Okafor down the left, although his cross was turned behind.

Palace played with more quality. Adam Wharton and Timber were comfortable on the ball in midfield, while Yéremy Pino moved around quickly hoping to score the first goal. The visitors played in a controlled way, taking their time when building up attacks. However, this often did not lead to much, and James Trafford was not seriously tested.

Leeds on the other hand would burst into life for brief moments as the full-backs flew forward, changing the dynamic in an instant but Palace’s centre-backs and wing-backs were built to deal with these rapid transitions, leaving Dominic Calvert-Lewin starved of service. Benítez could relax and re-read the laws of the game, having failed to face a single shot on target in the opening 40 minutes.

Palace played much faster after the break. Mitchell scored from a good move down the right side of the field. But the joy did not last. The video assistant referee stepped in and showed that Anan Khalaili was offside earlier in the move. This caused loud reactions inside Elland Road.

Leeds started slowly, but Mitchell's shot served as a warning that made them respond. They almost scored soon after. Calvert-Lewin had his only real chance, but Benítez saved it. The England striker was given a lot of space to reach a cross, but his side-foot volley was weak.

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The game had a hint of danger as Tanaka and Wharton were both booked one after the other. Tanaka was booked for a cynical foul, and Wharton was booked for lunging in late with no chance of winning the ball. This kept the referee, Herczeg, much busier than either of the two goalkeepers.

Leeds struggled to create chances in open play. Ethan Ampadu spent much of the game taking long throw-ins. Every few minutes he would jog to the sideline, pick up the ball, and throw it into the box, but Palace stayed alert to the danger. “We had many set pieces today, but also today we didn’t have the best quality of the delivery,” Farke said.

Palace edged the match and Daichi Kamada could have won it late on but his header drifted inches wide. Sage will be relieved to see his defence so well organised and untroubled after conceding 11 in the first four games, leading to plenty of early scrutiny on his appointment. “Especially when I read the social media, there’s a big pressure.” Sage said.

“But you know, I don’t care about that. I do my job with honesty, I give my best with my skills and my limits. And in the end, I have no regrets with what I do.”