Leeds United are not involved in the Easter weekend’s calendar of fixtures and therefore do not return to Premier League action until Monday, April 25. The Whites make the trip to Crystal Palace on the back of a 16-day break between their last match against Watford, where they secured an important 3-0 win.
Despite the fixture hiatus for Jesse Marsch’s side, 18th-place Burnley are set to play three times before Leeds are next in action again, meaning they could have a very clear idea as to how nervy the final six games of the season could be. But even after Burnley’s three upcoming matches, Leeds can avoid a nervy end to the campaign by taking matters into their own hands.
The Whites face Manchester City, Arsenal and Chelsea in successive matches after their trip to Palace and so a win at Selhurst Park would ensure any lingering doubts can be put to bed. Leeds have struggled against all of the ‘big six’ this season, meaning fixtures against the likes of Palace are where they may need to take advantage of.
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Of course, Palace are certainly no pushover, though, as they have enjoyed a fine season under Patrick Vieira. The likes of Wilfried Zaha, Conor Gallagher and Michael Olise are a handful to deal with for any defence, and at the back they have built a solid partnership with Joachim Andersen and Marc Guehi.
But Palace don’t have a great deal left to play for and come into the game on the back of an FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea, meaning they could feel deflated after a defeat. On the other hand, if they secure their passage to the final, then Vieira could use it as an opportunity to rotate his squad to keep them fresh for the end of the season.
For that reason, Leeds must target this game as one they can get points from to ensure their survival is all but secured.
