Crystal Palace vs Leeds: A valuable point for Marsch’s men

Crystal Palace vs Leeds: Jesse Marsch and Co., picked up another valuable point in their battle against relegation, as they drew the Eagles 0-0 at Selhurst Park on Monday.

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The point sends Leeds (34 points – 16th place) five points clear of 18th-place Everton and three above 17th-place Burnley. Everton have a game in hand on both Burnley and Leeds.

Crystal Palace (38 points), meanwhile, remain 14th in the Premier League table.

Final score: Crystal Palace 0, Leeds 0

Goal scorers: Crystal Palace (None), Leeds (None)

Shots: Crystal Palace 17, Leeds 9

Shots on target: Crystal Palace 7, Leeds 2

Possession: Crystal Palace 53%, Leeds 47%

1. Leeds not creating chances aside from transition: Leeds attempted 16 tackles in the first half, with just six of them coming in Crystal Palace’s half of the field and none in their defensive third. As a result, they created nothing of danger when forced to play with possession rather than pace. In the second half, Leeds attempted 38 tackles, including 16 in the attacking half and seven in the final third. The outcome: a few opportunities to spring counter-attacks much closer to goal, thus some semblance of attacking threat. Seven games into Jesse Marsch’s tenure, it’s quite clear that plenty of attacking improvement is needed ahead of his first full season, but that’s what preseason is for. It’s important to remember that Marsch walked into an all-hands-on-deck situation when he took the job, and he’s done quite well (3W-2D-2L) to put a bit of distance between Leeds and the relegation zone. That is quite a first-season achievement, while also laying an obvious defensive foundation for what the side becomes in the summer.

2. Palace’s one-man show at its ceiling