Two wins in two games for firefighter Roy Hodgson - as relegation alarm bells ring for abysmal Leeds.
When Patrick Vieira was sacked as Palace boss they had not won for 13 games this year. There was a debate over the merits of sacking a promising young coach like Vieira. But who can blame club chairmen for shaking it up and firing bosses, when it produces vital short term gains, and a massive step away from relegation, like this.
True, Palace were given a major boost by the disorganisation, lack of fight and wide open spaces left by the crumbling Yorkshire side who couldn’t defend a cross. Palace came from behind to score three goals in ten minutes either side of half time and it was walk-out and sweary time for Elland Road faithful when a fifth made it a truly humiliating day for Leeds coach Javi Gracia.
Young midfielder Michael Olise conjured a hat-trick of assists in 16 minutes, Eberiche Eze played with precision and swagger and Jordan Ayew was lethal. Eze said: “It has been a long time since we have been playing like this."
Hodgson, 75, added: “It’s a perfect start. All you can do as a coach is give people the confidence to do the things you can see in training. It’s not a magic wand type of situation.
"These players were good before I came to the club and they’re showing it again. The training has been fantastic, the sun has been shining. It’s nice to be back.
"Everything couldn’t be better so far but I know there are different types of days ahead and one day I’ll be answering very different questions. But we have to enjoy these moments as they won’t last forever."
Patrick Bamford opened the scoring after 21 minutes to bring up his half century of goals for the club. He met Brenden Aaronson’s corner kick.
Leeds are high-energy, 100mph scufflers, and have trouble maintaining their intensity. Weather the storm, like Palace did for 30 minutes when Jack Harrison’s free kick, and a header from Pascal Struijk, were saved by Sam Johnstone, and you have a chance. And Leeds have a weakness to a well delivered set piece, which proved their undoing after a couple scares.
Eze’s free kick was met by Jeffrey Schlupp, and it was about to be mopped up by Illan Meslier. England defender Marc Guehi reacted quickly to divert into the goal before Meslier could gather. VAR found Robin Koch played him onside.
Leeds had been warned. Schlupp hit a post from a free header from a corner and Jordan Ayew went wide from another cross.
By the 56th minute Leeds were punished again from a cross. Eze spread the ball wide to Olise who was allowed to flick in a cross with his left foot, unchallenged. Worst still, Jordan Ayew rose to head home at the back post, also without a white shirt jumping.
Palace’s confidence rose and Leeds’ crumbled.
Olise, the French U21 international galloped towards the edge of the box, and slid a wonderful ball in between flat-footed defenders. The elusive Eze ran in behind and poked under Meslier to make it three.
For Palace’s fourth, more abysmal defending. Olise was allowed to jog 60 yards carrying the ball, untouched. He slid a pass left to Odsonne Edouard, and the striker finished into the far corner.
Then five. A sloppy, strange goal. Ayew was free in the box, as a blocked shot by Will Hughes fell nicely for him to tuck home his second of the game.
“We started a bit shaky but we know we have quality going forward. We are very quick, strong and skilful.”
Thousands of fans walked out of Elland Road and there were boos at the final whistle, after a result that deepens Leeds’ relegation worries. They face Liverpool next.
Gracia added: "It's unbelievable after that first half we had to finish like that. We dominated the first half and created many chances. We could have finished the game.
"After we conceded before half-time everything changed. We started very bad in the second half and didn't perform as well."
