The More We Challenge, The More Dangerous the Risk
There will be days like yesterday. There will be days like Saturday too. Defeats will come, and those defeats will be tinged with frustration.
Palace had their chances. Christian Benteke should have put the club 1-0 up late in the second half. It was a miss the side would go on to rue as Leeds then won that late penalty.
This is the precarious position Palace find themselves in. This isn't a side that just wants to see out draws -- it's a side that wants to take the fight to their opponents. This isn't just a Palace side that sits deep and soaks up the pressure, only to counter late-on. This is a team that works its way into attacking positions and, at times, leaves itself open to conceding goals too.
It's frustrating losing a game like last night's. Palace had worked tremendously hard to win a point or more and, whether through bad luck or inexperience, with just seconds to go the penalty conceded by Marc Guehi undermined that effort.
The good news is that there is still a consistent level of performance. Palace must persist, and Palace fans must not panic. Because two defeats in a row aren't indicative of a systematic issue -- they are an opportunity to learn about the team's weaknesses and to address them.
Midfield Balance Returns
The Aston Villa defeats had aspects that felt self-inflicted. In trying to accommodate both Luka Milivojević and Cheikhou Kouyaté, Patrick Vieira tampered with the balance in midfield and failed to make up for the loss of James McArthur. The passing and pressing game suffered accordingly.
Jeffrey Schlupp making his first start in central midfield since the EFL Cup game against Watford was one of the clear options to add more drive into the middle, where it was lacking on Saturday.
Schlupp, taking up Gallagher's usual spot, right of the midfield triangle, immediately gave balance to the team's press, allowing the team to get two players into the Leeds half. Gallagher, the defacto McArthur, and Kouyaté, the sole holding midfielder, had identifiable roles alongside him.
The lineup changes by Patrick Vieira changed the fixed or static approach from the Villa game to a more fluid system. Whilst Michael Olise seemed tethered to the touchline on Saturday, the front three of Wilfried Zaha, Odsonne Édouard and Jordan Ayew were given the freedom to interchange.
Schlupp was third in progressive carries behind Zaha and an impressive Ayew, showing that ability he had to drive the ball forward from midfield. The result, which went against Palace, is a tough one to take, but it was a vast improvement on Aston Villa as far as the setup goes. Will Hughes long-awaited appearance gave a glimpse of another midfield option, with a tidy debut.
All Palace fans can ask from a starting lineup, and formation puts the team in an excellent position to compete in the match. The return to this mobile midfield is at least a step back in the right direction.
Palace Need Andersen's Passing
James Tomkins has had two solid games at the back and has reminded fans he is a far better "footballer" than he is often given credit for being. The team didn't abandon attempts to pass out from the back in either game until the introduction of Benteke in the second half at Elland Road.
Whereas the team had most of the ball against Aston Villa, particularly in defence, against Leeds, the team registered the second-lowest total possession percentage of the season. Put under extreme pressure by Leeds, completion rates across the board dropped.
The x-factor of Joachim Andersen is still missing, primarily his vision to find open players downfield. Against a team that is closing down, breaking through lines and finding pockets of space behind is an invaluable skill.
In this respect, Patrick Vieira and fans alike have been spoilt by what Andersen has delivered in possession this season and isn't a direct criticism of his replacement by any means.
At this stage of a club rebuild, the team doesn't have the luxury of a third ball-playing-defender to replicate what Andersen produces, and this won't be the last absence of either him or Marc Guéhi. The team will need to consider how to mitigate this loss, as it probably isn't a coincidence that Andersen hasn't started in three of the four losses this season.
The xG Battle
This was a cagey affair that came down to two or three decent chances. Leeds had the better of the attacking play, with Dan James looking particularly dangerous down the left flank. In the end, it would be the penalty that swung the game heavily weighted in Leeds' favour on the xG front.
It took until the 56th minute for either team to hit the target. Vicente Guaita quickly gathered a deflected effort from Adam Forshaw, untroubled.
Rodrigo had the best chance of the match, getting on the end of a Dan James pass before inexplicably trying to round the 'keeper rather than getting a shot away. At least in the fans' minds, the result would have seemed fairer had Leeds scored in open play.
Going into the final 15 minutes of the game, Palace was very much in the ascendancy, with most chances falling to Christian Benteke. Palace will be disappointed not to have turned more dangerous runs from Ayew and Zaha into better opportunities, which is ultimately where they fell short.
Next Up: Manchester United (A)
The relentless Xmas fixture list is drawing near, and the quick turnaround leading into this Leeds fixture was a teaser of things to come. Seven matches in the next 28 days will be a gruelling test of Palace's depth.
The Ralf Rangnick (interim) era will be in full flow as Palace travel to Old Trafford, looking to halt a short run of defeats. There are flaws in the United side, but they will likely be energised with a new approach to games.
Joel Ward, the stand-in captain against Leeds, will miss out on the trip to Old Trafford after picking up a 5th yellow card. Nathaniel Clyne is the obvious choice to cover him, but other than one 90 minute outing for the U23s, he hasn't been seen since pre-season.