Calvert-Lewin brace powers Leeds to emphatic win over Palace

Dominic Calvert-Lewin scored for the fifth Premier League game in a row, as his brace helped Leeds United to a 4-1 victory over Crystal Palace.

Ethan Ampadu and Anton Stach were also on target for Daniel Farke's side, who moved six points clear of the relegation zone.

Palace, who made 11 changes after their UEFA Conference League clash with KuPS 48 hours earlier, were caught out by two long Ampadu throws in the space of 11 first-half minutes, with Calvert-Lewin pouncing on both occasions.

Ampadu then got on the scoresheet with his first Premier League strike and, after Justin Devenny pulled one back for Palace with a stoppage-time penalty, Stach's sublime free-kick restored the hosts’ three-goal margin.

The emphatic win extended Leeds' unbeaten league run to four matches but more importantly, moved them six points clear of the  the bottom three to 16th place, while Oliver Glasner’s side dropped to eighth.

How the match unfolded

The hosts broke the deadlock in the 38th minute. Chris Richards inadvertently glanced Ampadu's long throw into the path of Calvert-Lewin, who tucked away at the second attempt after Dean Henderson initially denied him.

Another Ampadu throw undid Palace again in first-half stoppage time as Jaka Bijol's flick found Calvert-Lewin once more at the far post, with the in-form striker nodding home to double Leeds' advantage.

Farke's side did not rest on their laurels after the break and made it 3-0 on the hour mark. Ampadu got in on the act, pouncing to prod past Henderson after Palace were slow to react to a second ball following a corner.

After Lucas Perri felled Christantus Uche, the visitors grabbed a consolation goal in the second minute of stoppage time, courtesy of a cool penalty from Devenny, who also nodded against the post shortly afterwards. 

However, the hosts had the final word, with Stach’s wonderful 20-yard free-kick putting the icing on the cake in the 101st minute.

Calvert-Lewin matches Viduka and Hasselbaink

Leeds’ revival continues to be led by the red-hot Calvert-Lewin, whose brace helped him join an exclusive group featuring some of the club’s iconic former strikers.

Indeed, he became only the fourth Whites player to score in five straight Premier League games, after Rod Wallace, Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink and Mark Viduka.

Calvert-Lewin achieved the feat against the team that are officially his favourite Premier League opponents, with his tally of seven goals being the most he has registered against any side in the competition.

As for Leeds, they have scored three or more goals in three successive Premier League home matches for the first time since doing so between December 2001 and January 2002.

That streak helped them go top of the table under David O’Leary. While they may be at the opposite end of the league this time around, their current stretch has moved them further clear of the bottom three.

Farke’s side will look to continue their momentum during their away double-header against Sunderland (28 December) and Liverpool (1 January).

Palace endure rare away-day blues

Despite all the changes, it was always going to be a tough ask of Palace just two days after their final game in the opening phase of the Conference League, and so it proved.

The Eagles had not conceded a goal from a long throw in the Premier League this season. However, that unblemished record was well and truly broken during Leeds’ fantastic finish to the first half.

Palace have proven they usually excel on the road. They have the most points (34) and wins (10) of any Premier League team away from home in 2025.

Yet, they simply had no answer today. Despite an initially purposeful start to the second half, Leeds were quickly back on top, and two more set-pieces proved the undoing of the visitors, who had only conceded five Premier League away goals this season prior to today.

On a brighter note, Palace fielded their youngest-ever Premier League player when 16-year-old Joel Drakes-Thomas sprinted on for the final few minutes, during which they could have reduced their arrears to a single goal had Devenny not hit the post from close range.

Glasner knows his players must bounce back quickly from this defeat, with a trip to Arsenal in the EFL quarter-finals coming up on Tuesday, before back-to-back home league games against Tottenham Hotspur (28 December) and Fulham (1 January).

Club reports

Leeds report | Crystal Palace report

What the managers said

Daniel Farke: "A great night for us, to see the scoreline and most importantly the three points. [Palace are] the best away team in the Premier League and we knew we needed a special plan and the lads have delivered, top class.

"Dominic Calvert-Lewin is in great form, I spoke highly about him and we are blessed and fortunate that we have him. He has shown this during his career when he is fit but to label him a top-class player for Leeds United, he doesn't have to show this for a couple of weeks or months, he has to show it over the whole course of the season. Right now it is too soon, he has to keep going."

Oliver Glasner: "We couldn't match their physicality today. Conceding four set-play goals is embarrassing.

"They had almost no chance from open play but every set play was dangerous. It is the fourth game in the last week that we are losing because we are conceding goals from set plays. We were not good enough, same at the front. We fully deserved to lose.

"No, [fatigue is] no excuse. I think we had the wrong mindset today. Maybe I spoke too much about tactics before the game against the 3-5-2 and not enough about the basics, because we lost every second ball. It was the basics. They were much better than we were today. You have to do the basics first, then you can talk about tactics.

"Today everybody should be disappointed and think about what they can do better. I always start with myself. I will find the right answer and let the players know tomorrow."

Next PL fixtures

Key facts

Leeds are unbeaten in their last four Premier League games (W2 D2) – their longest run without defeat across the same season in the competition since April 2022 (run of five).

Palace have lost back-to-back Premier League games for the first time since April this year, with this also being their heaviest away defeat in the competition since April (5-0 v Newcastle).

Calvert-Lewin is the first Leeds player to score in five successive Premier League appearances since Mark Viduka in August 2003.

All four of Leeds’ goals came from set pieces (two throw-ins, one corner and one direct free kick) – the most set-piece goals by a team in a single Premier League game since Everton v Wolves in December last year.